New World Order
by MickDunD
Summary: Tatsumi never reaches the Capital, and by extension Night Raid. Instead, he joins a new order...one far older than the Empire itself. Will he lead them to victory? Or send them back to the sands of history? Crossover with Assassins Creed.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: An Unlikely Encounter

TATSUMI POV:

"GOD-DAMMIT!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

He had just come back to the exact same spot for the eighth time that day, once again proving that he was lost. He had been wandering around in the wilderness for the past week or so ever since he had gotten separated from Sayo and Ieyasu when bandits had attacked them on the road. Shortly afterwards, a massive hurricane had ripped through the countryside, destroying numerous bridges that connected the edges of the empire to the capital. With these gone, he had been forced to try and forge a new path to the capital through a large swamp that ran for almost seventy miles between his village and the nearest city...however, all he had done so far was get hopelessly lost.

"Sayo and Ieyasu are probably already in the army by now," he muttered to himself, hopping over a fallen tree and sloshing through a large mud puddle.

He continued wading through the mud and grime, not caring how dirty he got. At this point, all of his clothes were completely ruined by filth, so a little more dirt wouldn't hurt anyone. In fact almost all of his possessions had been ruined by the terrain. His blanket, pillow, food, more than half of his clothes, and all other creature comforts had long been left on the sides of the 'road,' thoroughly soaked, moldy, and caked with mud. All he carried now was his sword, the clothes on his back, his boots, a map (which had been no help at all), his coin purse, a fire-starter, and a small statue from his village elder. He was kind of grateful for the lessened burden, since it made traveling these wild lands easier.

He kept on trudging in the direction he guessed was south (his compass had been in Ieyasu's bag when they got separated,) trying his best to keep a positive attitude as he once again fetched up in the exact same spot as before.

"GAAAAAH!" he finally lost it, drawing his sword and slashing a nearby tree in half before pounding the stump in frustration.

His stomach grumbled loudly, which only added to his misery. He hadn't eaten in three days now, due to the lack of edible game. The only things that seemed to inhabit this swamp seemed to be Earth Dragons...and he wasn't hungry enough to try and eat them. He sighed and climbed out of the muck to a solitary rock that seemed dry enough. He slouched against it and sighed, trying to wipe some algae out of his eyes with an already-dirty hand.

"What am I doing?" he sighed. "Can I really save the village by myself? I need Sayo...and Ieyasu. I need them to watch my back."

Suddenly he blinked. There was a loud sloshing sound coming from his right. After spending this much time in the wild, he knew that usually meant an Earth Dragon was coming. Slowly, he drew his sword again and settled into a battle stance. He had already killed seven of these beasts since venturing into the swamps, so he knew he could kill this one with ease.

Suddenly the ground exploded with a shower of mud and water as the Earth Dragon surfaced from its tunnel. However something was not right here...the dragon was missing one of its arms and its head armor was punctured in several places. Green blood quickly stained the mud as the beast writhed in its death throes, screaming in agony.

"Ewwww, gross," came a new voice.

He turned towards the Earth Dragon's tunnel as a young girl emerged. She was about his age with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a long overcoat and a white hat with the symbol for the Imperial Fist emblazoned in red. In her right hand she carried a lance with a long blade, which was completely soaked in green blood.

"Oh, so there's travelers out here?" she asked, noticing him.

"Uh," he gawked, looking at her lance...then at the Earth Dragon...then back again. "Did you...do that?"

"Yeah," she smiled, calmly walking up onto the beast's neck and plunging her lance into its flesh, killing it. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," he said, not knowing how someone could be so calm after dispatching a danger beast like that.

"Really?" she said, holding her nose as she looked at him. "Cause you smell like you've been out here for way too long without a bath."

"Hey! You try getting lost out here for a week and let's see how you smell," he shot back.

"You've been out here for a week?!" now it was her turn to gawk.

"Yeah, I got lost after the hurricane knocked out the bridges," he admitted, sheepishly rubbing his head. "You wouldn't happen to know the way to the capital, would you?"

She smiled and waved him to follow her. "Follow me," she said. "But first I have to meet up with my friend."

"Thanks," he grinned at her. "I'm Tatsumi by the way."

"Spear," she said, returning his smile as she walked into the Earth Dragon's tunnel. "Watch your head."

The tunnel ran for what seemed like miles before coming back up in a large clearing. The entire area looked like it had been hit by a tornado: ground ripped up, rocks smashed, trees hacked over, etc. And covering the majority of the ground was a river of green blood flowing from the severed arm of an Earth Dragon.

"Whoa…" he breathed at the destruction.

"Yeah, guess I got carried away," Spear chuckled, walking through the battlefield towards a small path that led further away. "Come on, my friend should just be up this way."

He followed her along the path to another clearing, this one filled with tents….and bodies. At least thirty people lay strewn around the camp, each of them bleeding heavily from long cuts and slashes. From their clothes and tattoos, he deduced that they were bandits.

"Shay!" Spear called out. "You done yet?"

"Almost!" came a reply in an accented voice.

A man emerged from inside one of the tents. He was very tall, with tan skin and dark hair that was pulled back and tied in a very short ponytail. He was wearing a very strange outfit: a black and red leather coat with a high collar and large cuffs, black pants with black boots, black gloves, and a strange belt with a white sash bearing a red cross. He carried a strange-looking rifle strapped across his back as well as a sword and a long dagger strapped to his belt. His face was hardened and unforgiving, which was only enhanced by the long scar across his right eye.

"Who's your friend?" the man asked, wiping his hands clean on a scrap of cloth.

"This is Tatsumi," Spear said cheerfully. "He got lost in last week's storm and he's been out here for some time. 'Think we could show him the way to the nearest city on our way back?"

The man's dark eyes lingered on him for a moment, triggering an instinctive need to swallow, before he shrugged and threw the scrap of cloth aside.

"I guess," he said, his accent somewhat distorting his words as he walked over to him and stuck out his hand. "Shay Cormac."

"T-Tatsumi," he said, nervously shaking said hand. "Uh, thanks for showing me the way out."

Shay just nodded and walked deeper into the camp. "Spear, see if you can find the papers," he said.

"Okay!" the blonde lance-user said. "Tatsumi, do you think you could help me?"

"Sure," he said, a bit thankful that Shay had left. "What do you need?"

She pulled him deeper into the camp, poking through tents. "There should be a letter marked with a red seal somewhere in here," she told him, rifling through sacks. "I need to find it."

"Okay," he said, digging through a chest.

They searched for about five minutes before they moved on to the next tent. However as they were moving between tents, something caught his eye coming from the corner of his vision.

"WATCH OUT!" he yelled, shoving Spear to the side as a large cleaver sword crashed down on the spot where she had been standing. He rolled to the side and drew his sword, shooting back up into a fighting position. Standing in front of him were three bandits who were still very much alive, each of them holding a weapon.

"Damn!" the largest of them swore, tugging his sword out of the ground. "Missed!"

"It's kind of good ya did, Gichi," one of them said, eyeing Spear and licking his lips. "I think we could all have some fun with her before we kill her."

"Yeah, but we gotta kill that kid first," said the other one, spinning a small sword. "Heh, this will be a walk in the park….it's been a while since I _'played' _with a girl."

He blinked and in a fit of rage, charged the one in front, swiping at his chest as fast as he could. The bandit blinked and managed to block his attack with both hands on his weapon. He capitalized on this and stepped inside his opponents guard. Quickly, he kicked the man in the kneecap as hard as he could, hearing the telltale 'CRACK!" of bone shattering. The bandit screamed and fell to one knee, but his pain was short-lived as he slashed him across the throat, silencing him.

The other two took a step back and lowered their guard as he turned to them. They looked like they were about to attack when they suddenly stiffened, their weapons clattering to the ground. He blinked as they suddenly toppled over, revealing Shay standing behind them with his arms outstretched, as if he had slapped them on the back of their necks. He had not heard the man sneak up on them, nor seen him actually land the blow. He watched as a pair of small blades slid back into his sleeves as he lowered his hands, casting his eye towards the bandit he had killed.

"You went for the kneecap?" he asked, looking at the deformed leg of the dead bandit.

"Yeah," he said, somehow completely calm. "He was focused entirely on blocking my sword, so I figured I would hit him there."

The dark-haired man nodded before looking over at Spear. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said standing up. "Thanks for the save, Tatsumi."

"N-no problem," he said. "You were kind enough to help me...I had to return the favor somehow."

Spear smiled at him before looking at Shay. "I nominate him," she said.

"Are you sure?" he asked, cocking his eyebrow. "He doesn't exactly look like he could handle it."

"Handle what?" he asked, but his words were completely ignored.

"He could do it," Spear said, folding her arms.

"Killing one bandit isn't enough to be nominated," Shay countered. "Besides...he's still too green for it."

"Hello!" he said. "I'm standing _right here!"_

"He survived a week in the swamp," she said. "That place is crawling with Earth Dragons, so you have to be tough to survive here."

"Is that right, lad?" he asked, finally looking at him. "You fought the danger beasts?"

"Uh, yeah," he said. "I did get lost, though…"

"Not important now," Spear said.

"You will need to get the vote called," Shay said, as if he were reminding her.

"I know," she said. "I know I can get my father to agree with me and Master Haythem will agree is he gets more funding for his expeditions."

"That leaves Torres, and Rodgers," Shay countered. "Not to mention myself."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, walking between them.

"You'll see soon enough," Spear said as he felt a sudden prick on his neck and his vision began to swim.

The last thing he remembered was falling to the ground and landing face-first in a mud puddle.

**TIME PASSES…**

He groaned and blinked as he came to, feeling nauseated and queasy like he was about to throw up. His head was pounding slightly and it felt like he was spinning around...which didn't help his nausea at all. He couldn't see anything at the moment, though; everything was dark.

"Wait a minute," he said, remembering the phantom pain in his neck and then passing out in the swamp. Then he realized he was wearing a blindfold...and his hands were tied behind his back.

"So you're awake then?" came a familiar accented voice.

"Shay?" he asked the darkness.

"Aye," he said, feeling a bottle being pressed to his lips. "Drink this...it'll help with the side-effects."

He eagerly took a sip and then recoiled at the bitter taste. However, he kept drinking until Shay pulled the bottle away, his thirst overriding his taste buds.

"Where am I?" he coughed.

"If I told you," Shay grunted, "it would defeat the purpose of the blindfold."

_Fair point,_ he thought as a bump passed under him. "We're in a carriage?"

Shay grunted in affirmation but said nothing else.

"Where's Spear?" he asked.

"She's gone ahead," he said. "'Probably to let her father know you're coming."

He knew he was lucky to get this much out of the man and probably wouldn't get any more, so he decided to shut up.

The cart bounced and rolled for a while longer before slowing to a stop. He heard the door open and two sets of hands grabbed him by his shoulders and lifted him out and onto the ground.

"Take him inside," Shay said, hit boots hitting the ground behind him. "Spear is waiting for him."

"Yes, Master Cormac," said a male voice as he was dragged across the ground by his shoulders.

"Hey wait a minute!" he yelled. "What's going on now?!"

"Easy son," said one of the men dragging him. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be."

He struggled a little bit, but shut up when one of them said if he tried to escape, he'd be run down and shot. He focused on trying to figure out where he was, using his other senses to try and figure out where the hell he was. He felt the suns warmth suddenly vanish from his skin, replaced by a cool breeze washing over his skin. He was inside now, judging from the way their footsteps echoed around him. Finally, after what seemed like ten minutes of walking, he heard a door open in front of him.

"Ah, Tatsumi!" Spear said, removing his blindfold and letting him see. "Welcome."

"Uh…thanks," he said. "Uh, could you tell me one thing?"

"Sure," she said with a smile.

"WHERE THE HELL AM I?!" he shouted, his voice echoing off the walls of the tunnel.

"Not so loud," Spear winced, opening the door and allowing the guards to move him inside. "And you're about to find out."

The door opened to a small circular room no larger than the inside of the chief's hut in his old village. Inside was a single chair, surrounded by a group of five people, their faces cloaked in shadow.

"Sit down," she said, pushing him into the chair.

One of the shadowy figures stepped forwards. He was a middle-aged man, maybe in his early forties, with shoulder-length silver-gray hair pulled back into a short ponytail. He had tan skin and intelligent gray eyes. He wore a blue coat and red undercoat, a bandolier draped across his shoulder. He wore thick-sole boots with heavy buckles, as well as a pair of thick leather trousers designed to keep thorns from poking the wearer. At his right hip hung a saber.

"We will be asking you a series of questions now," the man said, his voice betraying an upbringing of high-status. "Do try to answer to the best of your abilities."

"O-okay," he swallowed. This man was almost as intimidating as Shay Cormac.

The man nodded and cleared his throat. "You are presented with a house with a door that is locked," he said. "It is three feet thick, ten feet tall, and is composed entirely of solid steel. The walls around it are marble and are another eight feet thick. The lock is steel as well and has eight tumblers that require a key that is currently held by a general guarded by sixty men. How do you get inside?"

He cocked an eyebrow. He thought they would want information about him, not riddles.

"That's easy," he said. "Go in through a window."

The man blinked and then cracked a smile. "A good answer," he nodded before stepping back into the shadows.

A new man emerged on his right. This was an older man with white hair and a snow-white beard. His skin was tan and weather-beaten, as if he was from a harsh region. His back was slightly stooped, but not so much it was noticeable at first glance. He wore a blue overcoat and red undercoat, both with gold trims. He had what looked like expensive leather shoes on, as well as a glove on his right hand.

"I suppose I will go next," he said in a grandfatherly voice. "You are in charge of a treasury which is responsible for the wealth of the empire and by extension you run a large accounting workforce. How could you prevent embezzlement and theft?"

He blinked. This was something else he knew. Tax officials from the empire would always try to cheat his town out of extra gold, claiming it was their "salary." The village elder had found ways around these weasels and had made sure to teach the next generation these tricks as well. Embezzlement and taxes were two different things, but they couldn't be so unalike.

"Make each of the employees handle a different part of the process," he said. "Divide the duties so there would be a longer paper trail if a group of them decided to steal. And put my most loyal employees in charge of the most important jobs to monitor people who steal."

The old man smiled and stepped back. Out stepped a younger man with chestnut hair and a vicious-looking scar on his left cheek that looked like he'd been shot there. He wore a brown leather sailor's coat with a leather vest and a cotton shirt underneath. A gold chain was tucked into his jacket pocket and he wore sailor's boots.

"I'll give it a go," he said in a smooth tone. "You are in charge of an army sent to clear a town of bandits. You arrive to find out the bandits have kept the townsfolk alive for hostages and are demanding you surrender or they start killing people. How do you get rid of them?"

"Scare them," he said right away. "Make it look like I either don't care about the townspeople or that I will complete my orders anyway. Then start showing off my army's firepower. If they'll surrender, capture them alive. If they run, kill them all."

The man smiled, which only seemed to distort the scar on his cheek even further. "That is what I would do," he said before looking at the final man. "He'll have my vote, Grandmaster."

Lastly, a face he knew stepped from the shadows.

"P-P-P-Prime Minister Chouri!" he said.

The former politician smiled at him. "What, in your opinion, does this world need most?" he asked him.

He took a moment to think before he looked back up. "Stability," he said. "Stability in economy, stability in government, and stability in society…that's what we need most."

Chouri smiled brightly. "True," he nodded before looking back into the shadows. "The vote is unanimous, my friends."

The other men stepped back into the light, with the addition of Shay and Spear as well. Spear had a wide grin on her face while Shay only looked quietly impressed.

"I understand you have a lot of questions," Chouri said. "And you are right to think this way. But there is one more question that I must ask you."

Chouri stepped even closer and knelt down to eye level. "What if I told you that you could be a part of something great?" he asked. "Something that would help change the world for the better…but it would require you to sacrifice a great deal to the cause. Would you do it?"

He looked the old man right in his eyes.

"Sir, I left my village to join the imperial army with my two best friends," he said. "We all knew we might die fighting, but we needed the money to help save our home. I was prepared to sacrifice my life from the very start…so yes I would."

Chouri smiled and stood up, motioning to Shay. The man walked behind him and untied his wrists. "Then welcome, Tatsumi," he said. "Welcome to the Order of the Knights Templar."

He then turned around and then motioned to the man who had asked him the first question. "Haythem," he said. "Bring him up to speed about our order."

"Of course, Grandmaster," the newly-named Haythem said.

"Woods, please call Elise back from the capital," he said to the scarred man. "Tell her about our new recruit."

"At once, Grandmaster," the sailor bowed and walked off.

"Torres, I need you to return to Kyoroch," he said, next, turning to the old man. "Keep me informed on the city's affairs."

"By your command, Grandmaster," the man said, bowing his head.

"And Shay," he said finally. "I would like to hear the results of your expedition."

"Yes, sir," he said, following the old man out of the room.

"Come now," Haythem said. "We have a lot to discuss, Tatsumi. Spear, come with me as well."

"Yes, sir," she said. "This is great, right Tatsumi?"

"Uh, maybe," he admitted. These all seemed like really important people, so who knew what could happen. And if he could do something to save his village, that would be excellent!


	2. Secrets of the Order

CHAPTER 2: Secrets of the Order

**SIX WEEKS LATER**

**TATSUMI POV**

He crept silently along the edge of the narrow street, hugging the wall of the building next to him. He swallowed, resisting the urge to wipe a bead of sweat from his eyes, focusing on his target.

A few yards ahead of him was a figure sitting on the bench with its back to him. He looked down at his right hand and at the thin metal brace currently strapped to it. He swallowed again and steeled his nerves before breaking from his cover and sprinting as fast as he could across the open area towards the man. He flexed his right wrist and watched from the corner of his eye as a small blade sprung from it. He brought his arm back and prepared to ram the blade through the person's neck…when a shadow fell across him.

"Damn," he cursed, tensing his body for what was about to come.

A huge weight crashed down on him from above, knocking him to the ground face-first. He coughed as the wind was knocked out of him, watching as a blade descended to his throat from above.

"Dead."

"Yeah, yeah," he groaned as the weight was lifted. "But I got farther than last time."

"Father does not mean success," Shay said, pulling him back to his feet. "Had I been an enemy, your target would have escaped and you would have been dead."

The dark-haired Knight turned and walked back towards the entrance of the training grounds. "But you are improving," he said. "Now come on. Elise and Spear are waiting for you for the next lesson."

He grinned at the man's words and hurried after him, leaving the training dummy there.

After the meeting, Haythem had taken him for a walk around the compound and explained to him the history of the Templars. They were an ancient organization founded long before the birth of the empire, founded for a singular purpose: peace through stability and order. Haythem had explained that if the Templars succeeded in their endeavors, they would create a new world where everyone was equal. There would be no kings, no discrimination, no poverty, no war, or no sorrow for anyone. But to do this, they had to do something that was near impossible.

Kill the Emperor.

And stop the Rebellion.

He allowed himself a smile at the thought. The revolutionary army in the south had a similar goal…and they certainly had the manpower to accomplish that task. However, Haythem and Shay had shown him why the revolutionary army was not to be trusted. They wanted to only provide freedom for the oppressed peoples in the southern and western regions. If they succeeded, they would in turn oppress the northerners and easterners, which would inevitably lead to another rebellion and only perpetuate the cycle of death.

"In time of peace, sons bury their fathers," Haythem had told him. "But in times of war, fathers bury their sons."

_True, _he thought, hurrying to keep up with Shay. He still wasn't used to his new boots.

Since his old clothes were destroyed by Mother Nature, Spear had taken it upon herself to dress him up "in proper a Templar fashion." The worst part was that since she was the Grandmaster's daughter, he couldn't refuse her. He now wore a sturdy black coat with a high collar and a hood sewn into the neckline. Emblazoned on the right shoulder in red was the Templar Cross. It had been a gift from Shay, saying it didn't fit him anymore. Under that he wore a gray short-sleeve shirt with his hidden blade strapped to his right forearm. Instead of his old tan pants, he wore black army pants with large pockets. Around his waist was his belt, which usually carried a sword and a dagger. However, now it also carried two holsters with the Order's newest weapons: large pistols that could kill with a single shot.

They reached the sparring area after a few minutes' walk. Spear was already there, accompanied by Elise.

Elise de la Serre was a young woman in her late twenties with flaming red hair. She was on the shorter side and very thin, but Tatsumi knew that was no reason to think she was weak. Elise was the Order's top swordsman…woman, and he knew she could even defeat Shay in a duel. She wore a battle-uniform with a blue and black sash, leather greaves covering her forearms. At her hip hung a rapier (known to the trainees simply as "doom') and at her left hip hung the same pistol that he carried.

"How'd he do?" she asked.

"Better," Shay admitted, taking a swig of water from a nearby jug. "But he's got a long way to go."

"It's to be expected," she said, looking at him. "But you've done well, Tatsumi."

"Thanks, Elise," he smiled, taking a drink. "Are we going to be sparring again today?"

She nodded and walked to the center of the sparring grounds, drawing her sword. "No holds barred," she said. "Come at me like you want to kill."

He nodded and stepped into the ring, drawing his sword with one hand and his knife with the other. Elise smiled at him…and then moved. She crossed the ten foot gap between them in an instant and stabbed at his throat. Six weeks ago this would have killed him instantly. Now, on the other hand…

He threw his sword up and parried her strike, slashing at her stomach with his knife. She jumped back and ducked low, her own hidden blade popping from under her right greave with a hiss as she struck at his ankle. He didn't even move his feet, calmly stabbing his sword down in time to block the blade from severing his tendon. Elise then rolled backwards, spinning slightly and kicked his sword from his hands.

"Not bad," she said, blowing a strand of her hair out of her eyes. "But what are you going to do now, Tatsumi?"

He gave her a hard smile and flexed his right wrist, sliding his hidden blade out as far as he could go. He spun his knife once and then dashed at her, leading with his hidden blade. Elise calmly sidestepped his attack, bringing her sword down across the back of his right hand hard enough to make it bleed. He winced but pressed the attack, kicking at her and stabbing with his dagger. However none of them even came close. She ducked and weaved around the strikes she couldn't block and the ones she could she only used as an opening to attack him. Finally, she let him strike at her shoulder with his knife. She quickly disarmed him, kicked him down, and held her blade at his throat.

"Dead," she smiled sweetly.

"Dammit," he grunted as she let him up. "I was close though."

"Keep telling yourself that," she laughed, handing him his weapons. "A few more years training and you may be able to beat me…but until then don't slack off."

"Got it," he nodded.

"Bravo!" came a new voice accompanied by the sound of clapping.

He looked towards the stairs into the main compound to see Woodes Rogers walking down towards them.

"Master Rogers," he said, bowing his head. "What brings you here?"

"No reason," the scarred sailor said. "I simply wanted to see the results of your training. I must say, Elise, you've done a bang-up job with this one."

"Thank you, Woodes," she smiled.

"Is Haythem here?" Shay asked, folding his arms.

"Unfortunately no," he said. "He left the empire three days ago heading for the southern islands. Apparently our friends in the East have made a breakthrough."

Friends in the East…the Assassins.

From what Haythem had told him, the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order had once been bitter enemies. While the Templars had been committed to peace through order, the Assassins had likewise been committed to peace through freedom. They fought to remove kings and tyrants from power, and had done a good job up until a thousand years ago. One thousand years ago was when the first emperor came into power, and ordered the creation of one-hundred superweapons to 'protect' the people. Both Assassins and Templars alike did their best to keep these weapons from being created, but despite their best efforts forty-eight of them were finished and delivered to the capital. The Assassin Mentor at the time, Al Mualim, ordered war on the Empire to prevent the weapons from being used. However, despite the Assassin's might, the power of the weapons was far too great for them and they were defeated. Al Mualim himself was captured and sentenced to death along with the surviving assassins.

However, the Grandmaster at the time, Prime Minister Robert de Sable, did something no other Templar at the time could ever think of…he freed Al Mualim…and personally stabbed the Emperor in his bed. Together, they agreed that the Teigu Weapons were too great a threat to both their plans for the future…and they agreed to a truce until the Empire was dismantled and the people were free from the tyrannical rule of kings.

Now Templars and Assassins worked together in the shadows. From what he had heard from the Masters of the Order, the Assassins worked to stir up trouble in the outer parts of the empire while the Templars undermined the authority of the government and military. His hidden blade had been a gift from the Assassins.

"When will Master Haythem be back?" he asked as they all began venturing back into the main compound.

"When he has discovered the relic," Woodes shrugged. "Until then we can only wait and hope that he can find something to help bring about the empire's downfall."

He nodded and followed Woodes and Spear towards the main chambers.

"Father wants to speak to you," Spear said playfully. "After that, come find me."

He nodded, a little surprised that Grandmaster Chouri wanted to speak with him. He hadn't seen the man since his first day inside the compound, so there must me something important going on.

Woodes and Spear left him outside the Grandmaster's quarters. He quickly swallowed, straightened his hair, and walked inside. The room was a large one, mostly decorated with maps and charts, although at the back was a large banner with the Order's cross hanging over a desk. Chouri was sitting there, reading a long report. The old man looked up as he walked inside and smiled at him.

"Ah, Tatsumi," he said, putting the paper aside. "It is good to see you again."

"Grandmaster Chouri," he bowed his head. "I was told you wanted to speak with me?"

"Yes, yes I do," he said, standing up and walking over to a section of the room covered in pictures. Some of them had their faces crossed out while others remained smiling at the camera. "I wanted to show you this."

"Who are they?" he asked, looking at the faces.

"These are the greatest threats to our goals," Chouri said. "They are assassins, sell-swords, corrupt politicians, generals, serial killers, pirates, etc…basically anyone who would see the Templar and Assassin dreams shattered in favor of chaos."

His eyes wandered over the images, looking at the picture of a blonde-haired boy with a devil's outfit.

"What about him?" he asked.

"Nyau may be young," Chouri sighed. "But he's an accomplished serial killer…from our reports, he enjoys targeting young girls and cutting their faces off while alive. He's known to make blankets and even clothes out of them."

He turned green at the thought and looked away from the picture. His eyes focused on another one.

"What kind of name is Champ?" he asked.

"Another serial killer," Chouri sighed. "Champ has a thing for children…wherever he goes, he leaves a trail of broken bodies behind him. Whenever he finds a child, he'll kill the parents and then rape the child before killing them as well."

He felt even more bile rise in his stomach.

"The reason I am showing you this," Chouri said, "is so you can become familiar with your targets. All of our Knights know these people's faces…so if they come across one of them, they will end their miserable lives."

He nodded, forcing his nausea out of his mind. He continued to study the pictures, brushing right over the ones of Prime Minister Honest and the Emperor. He came across one that he was vaguely familiar and pointed to her.

"Ah, Esdeath," Chouri said with a noticeable shiver.

"Who is she?" he asked. "Shay and Master Haythem have talked about her…but no one tells me who she really is."

"Esdeath is…" Chouri paused to rub his temples. "Possibly the strongest warrior in the known world. She's a full general in the imperial army, and a bloodthirsty monster. Instead of bringing back captured enemy soldiers, she throws them to danger beasts or tortures them herself. She's the biggest obstacle we have to rebuilding this world."

He stared at her picture. She was a remarkably beautiful woman; icy blue eyes and pale skin (not to mention the size of her chest). Ieyasu would probably drool like a waterfall if he saw her. But as Chouri kept talking, telling him about the crimes she had committed; letting her army violate entire cities who had surrendered, torturing civilians, burying forty-thousand people alive in ice…he started to lose his attraction.

"So how do we deal with her?" he asked.

Chouri grimaced. "I don't know yet," he said. "We're hopeful that Master Haythem can find a relic that can negate her Teigu…but until then we can only interfere with her army. The Assassins have done a number on her commanders in the past few years, but we are not even close to being able to remove her. If you come across her, Tatsumi, do not even try to attack her. Run…run as fast as you can."

He nodded, memorizing the woman's face. Chouri then moved over to another series of pictures. These were mostly of women.

"This is Night Raid," he said, gesturing at the images. "They are a strike force for the Revolutionary Army. All of them are Teigu-users, and are to be treated as threats."

"Their leader is Najenda?" he asked. He knew of the former general from Woodes. The two of them apparently had some history before Najenda left the army.

He nodded. "She commands a group of highly-skilled individuals," he said, pointing at a picture of a young woman with red eyes. "Like the former imperial assassin, Akame…or the five-time decorated 'hundred man-slayer' Bulat."

"And the others?" he asked, gesturing at the four remaining pictures.

"Well, there's Mine," he said, pointing to a long-range shot of a pink-haired girl with a strange gun. "From what our spies tell us, she's a sharpshooter with skill not seen since the First Imperial War."

He nodded as he moved on to a young man with green hair and goggles. "Lubbock," he said. "He was Najenda's first officer while she served in the army. He's nothing really special personality-wise, but he does have incredible skill with the Teigu 'Cross Tail.' From what we've heard, he's had a crush on his old commander for many years now."

He smirked as Chouri moved over to a woman with glasses. "We don't know much about this woman after she left the capital," he said. "Her name is Sheele. She started out as a vigilante in the slums before she was recruited into Night Raid. She is a cold-blooded killer, from what our spies tell me."

He squinted at the woman, wondering what made her such a heartless individual.

"And lastly, the one we know the most about," he said, pointing to a cheery blonde girl. "Leone. She started out in the slums as a vigilante as well, although she did a horrible job at keeping her identity a secret. She's a gambler, borderline alcoholic, and con-artist. We know she has the beast-Teigu Lionelle, which increases her body's abilities tenfold, including her rate of regeneration. One of the Assassins shot her with a poison dart and she was able to shrug it off like it was nothing. According to our people in the capital, she is apparently a good person. I would like to see her in the Order if we could manage it."

He nodded as Chouri went on to explain others on the wall, such as Zank the Beheader and General Esdeath's Three Deadly Beasts. But his eyes always seemed to drift back to the images of Esdeath and the assassin Leone.

_What could have made them choose their paths?_ He wondered.

Finally, Chouri finished his explanation and let him leave, his mind was a bundle of questions. He knew that more experienced Knights could easily defeat some of the members of Night Raid, but he also knew he was nowhere near as strong. Maybe if he got the drop on one of the weaker ones, like that girl Mine, he could take her out. But in a frontal battle, he would stand no chance.

"I have to get stronger," he muttered, running back towards the training grounds.

He trained well into the night, practicing his shooting and assassin techniques. Spear came to help him, but she ended up beating him every time they sparred. He knew he was making progress, but it wasn't fast enough to be of use to the Order.

"Enough, Tatsumi!" Shay shouted to him as he tried again with the air assassinate technique.

"Shay?" he asked, pulling his hidden blade out of a dummy.

"Practicing is fine and dandy," the dark haired knight said, walking down to him, "but nothing can beat real experience."

He grabbed him by the scuff of his coat and pulled him towards the compound. "It's high time you took a life for the Order," he said.

**ONE DAY LATER**

**IMPERIAL CAPITAL**

He swallowed heavily, checking his gear again for the eighth time that hour. His pistols were loaded with their single shot, his hidden blade was working fine, sword was sharpened and knife was positioned to where he would be able to draw it with ease.

"Stop worrying," Shay said, slapping the back of his head. "You'll do fine, lad. My first kill was ten times harder than this."

"I don't think killing that captain of the CDF is an easy matter," he mumbled, going over the plan.

CDF Captain Ogre the Demon was a greedy and corrupt man. He constantly misused his power, taking bribes to frame innocents with crimes. He often took orders straight from the Prime Minister himself to cover his tracks with innocent blood. Both the Order and the Assassins wanted him dead…and Shay thought this would be a perfect opportunity to test his skills.

"It's simple," the older Knight told him. "You find Ogre, follow him back to his house, sneak inside, and then snuff the bastard while he's 'pissin."

"If you say so," he grumbled, walking out of the bar they were in and onto the street. He quickly flipped up his jacket collar and pulled his hood up to obscure his face.

It was late afternoon, which is when stores would be closing and everyone would be going home. The streets would be crowded enough so no one would be able to pick him out as he waited outside the CDF headquarters. Finally, he saw Ogre emerge. It was kind of hard not to notice the hulking tower of muscle as he shoved a few pedestrians to the side with a cruel laugh. Steeling his nerve, he slipped into place behind the man and followed him. A few scumbag businessman came up to him with bribes, which the man accepted in broad daylight! He grit his teeth in frustration and felt his right hand begin to flex, pushing the hidden blade out a few inches.

_Patience, _he told himself. _He'll get his soon enough._

He followed Ogre back towards a more luxurious district in the capital, where the foot traffic was a little thinner. He took care to keep out of the man's line of sight, ducking behind fences and into shops as he went. Finally, the man stopped at a white marble three-story house and quickly went inside.

"Now," he whispered to himself, jumping the fence and running into a patch of hedges that provided him with decent cover. He watched as Ogre walked about the second floor on his house, eating and drinking like a king. He waited for a few more moments before making his way to the nearest window. It was locked, but he managed to jimmy it open with his knife. He quietly slipped inside and readied his pistol. It would be loud, so he would only use it if he had to. He'd stick with his hidden blade for this one.

He crept upstairs quietly, using the sound of Ogre eating noisily to locate him. He came up to the kitchen, taking note that the man did not have his armor or sword on him.

_That makes my job easier,_ he thought, creeping up behind the man, using the stealth techniques Shay had taught him.

He got right up behind Ogre and quickly tapped the man on the shoulder.

"Huh, wha-" was all he managed to say as he turned around.

Quick as a whip, he popped his hidden blade out and slashed it across the man's throat. Ogre's eyes widened as he grabbed the cut, allowing Tatsumi a perfect target. He calmly plunged the blade into Ogre's heart, wrenching it around to make sure he cut all the arteries.

"Retribution to the fallen," he said, easing Ogre down onto the floor. "You pay for your crimes with this life, Captain Ogre…may the Father of Understanding guide you to a purer path in the next."

The CDF captain gurgled as the light slowly died from his eyes. He knelt there next to him, making sure the man was really dead before closing his eyes. He wiped his blade clean before heading back outside. As he moved through the garden his ear twitched.

He dove forwards, rolling out of the way of a golden blur that smashed down into the garden where he had been standing seconds before. His hand went straight to his sword, drawing it and settling into a ready stance as he looked at his attackers.

"You missed," said a smooth female voice as two figures appeared from the darkness.

"Oh, gimme a break," said a peppy voice. "How was I supposed to know he heard me?"

He squinted from under his hood until their faces became clear to him. His heart sank as he recognized them. Akame and Leone of Night Raid.

"Shit," he grimaced, reaching back for one of his pistols. They'd probably dodge the shot, but it was better than engaging Akame in a swordfight.

"So who're you?" Leone asked, folding her arms under her impressive chest. "'Someone else contract you to eliminate Ogre?"

He didn't answer her. _Never reveal the nature of our work_ was one of the Templar maxims, after all.

"Ooh, strong and silent I see?" she purred as flames began to envelope her body, a sign that she was activating her Teigu. "Well, then…I guess I'll have to beat it out of you!"

_NOW!_ He thought, drawing his pistol and firing at her. He mentally cheered as the large shot impacted on her right shoulder, blowing a good-sized divot out of her. Akame's eyes turned to her comrade and he used that moment to escape.

He turned and jumped the fence, dashing back towards the crowded streets.

_Have to lose them,_ he thought as he heard a feline roar from behind him. He looked back to see Leone jumping after him, her wound fully healed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Akame jumping across the roofs. She was trying to corral him…probably into a corner where Leone would attack.

_Not gonna happen,_ he thought, heading for a marketplace. _Akame's wanted, so she's not going to go through here. _

He jumped through the doors, much to the alarm of some nearby patrons as he tore through the crowds and into the deepest area of the market. As fast as he could, he pulled a book from a nearby vendor's stall and found a bench. He sat down and pulled off his hood, pretending to be engrossed in the…cookbook. He winced and hoped nobody would notice.

A few minutes later, he saw Leone walk past him. Akame was nowhere to be seen. The tall blonde assassin had deactivated her Teigu, but she was still radiating an aura of bloodlust. He kept his eyes downcast to the pages as she passed by, unaware that her target was literally three inches away from her. Finally, she moved off into a different area, and when she did, he made his move. Attacking her here would be suicide and poor judgement. There were too many civilians to witness him killing her, not to mention she might just activate her Teigu and come after him. No…now was the time to disappear and report back.

He stood up and blended with the crowd, following a group of young people out of the market. He broke away from them after a few blocks, running back to the bar where he and Shay had parted ways. The dark-haired Knight was exactly where he'd left him; sitting at the bar with a mug in his hand.

"You're late," he said as he slid back into his chair.

"I got ambushed," he said, panting to catch his breath. "Akame and Leone were there for Ogre as well."

"Did you kill him?"

"Yeah," he nodded, taking a drink from his own glass.

"Then good job," he said, clapping him on the back. "We'll report this back to the Grandmaster in the morning."

He nodded and kept drinking in silence, thinking about Chouri's words. Each of those people would have to be eliminated in order for the Templar's world to come to fruition…he shook any doubts from his head and slammed his mug on the table.

"Another," he told the bartender.

_I will not let anyone destroy the Grandmaster's goal, _he thought as he knocked his glass against Shay's in a silent toast. _Even if it costs me my own life. _


	3. Catch a Killer

Chapter 3: Catch a Killer

It had been a few weeks since the assassination of Ogre the Demon, and in that time, the Templars had been busy. From what Elise had told him, they had pulled many strings to place one of their own in Ogre's position of CDF captain. This new man, Matthew Davenport, already had promised the public reform in the police force, as well as delivered classified material to the Grandmaster regarding the capital's defenses.

_And it's all thanks to me,_ he smiled as he walked down the halls of the Templar Compound.

The Compound itself was a relic of a bygone era, when savage tribes ruled the land. It was actually the first structure the Templars had used established order and was their primary base of operations. The Assassins had a similar structure located deep in the eastern mountains; a massive fortress called Masayf Castle. It was there that the Assassin Mentor resided, just as the Grandmaster lived and worked inside the Compound. The place was built half into a cliff face, allowing easy access through secret tunnels and passageways that ran for miles in every direction.

"Hey, Tatsumi!" he turned around and saw Spear running up to him.

"Lady Spear," he bowed respectfully, only to get flicked on the forehead. "Ow!"

"I told you, you don't have to do that to me," she chided, grabbing his ear playfully.

"But you're my superior," he said as she dragged him along the hallway. "And you're the Grandmaster's daughter! Master Haythem would have a fit if he knew I didn't show you proper respect!"

"Haythem can kiss a Kaiser Frog," she snorted. "Come on, you're going with me today!"

"Where are we going?" he asked as she pulled him outside towards a carriage.

"The Capital," she said. "Father has an important mission for us."

He perked right away. An important mission from the Grandmaster?

"Let's go," he grinned, hopping into the carriage.

**LATER THAT DAY…**

"Uh, Spear?" he asked nervously. "Is this really what the Grandmaster wanted us to do?"

The two of them were sitting in the middle of the Capital's busiest market in broad daylight with their hoods off…eating lunch. All around them, people could see their faces, remember them, or point them out if they were asked to. It honestly made him feel naked.

"Oh would you relax?" Spear laughed, swatting his arm playfully. "We're not doing anything wrong."

"Yeah, but we're not doing anything for the Order," he whispered. "All we're doing is just…"

"Relaxing," Spear finished, taking a bite of her food. "Working too hard isn't good for you, Tatsumi. Even Shay knows when to take a break…then again, he usually drinks on his breaks and that leads to _more_ trouble."

He snorted, remembering the time Shay had opened a bottle of whisky to celebrate a successful kill and ended up grabbing Elise's ass in a drunken attempt at flirtation. Elise had asked him to fetch the doctor and when they had returned Shay was beaten near senseless with Elise wiping her hands clean.

"Yeah," he smiled, thinking of his teacher's drunken escapades. "Hey, what's Shay's story anyway? He doesn't seem like the kind of person who would join the Order."

"That's because he wasn't," she said. "Shay is one of the last surviving members of the Ban Tribe…well, he's more like half-Ban. His father was a merchant who traded with the tribes, so when they were massacred, he took Shay away. From what he tells me, he never saw his mother again. His father died when he was maybe eight, and to earn money he started participating in cage fights."

He shuddered. Cage fights were something Woodes had taught him about. They were a savage blood-sport reserved for noblemen. Peasants and slaves were put in the ring and told that whoever killed their opponent would receive gold and/or freedom. Orphans were often used as "slaughter fodder;" being set up to fight experienced warriors just so the spectators could see blood spilled easily.

"Shay killed thirty people during his first round in the fights," she said. "Most of them were kids his age, but maybe seven of them were soldiers. They made him keep fighting until he learned how to kill properly. It's lucky that Master Torres found him when he did or he would have probably died in the rings."

"Wow," he whispered. He knew Shay was a powerful fighter, but thirty people when he was only eight…that was a lot to take in. "I guess I'm lucky to have been trained by him."

Spear nodded, slurping down the last of her noodles before sitting back in her chair with a sigh. "But anyway, tell me about you," she said with a cheery smile. "What was your childhood like?"

"Uh, well I grew up in Winters Pass," he began. "It's a small village on the Northern Boarder…sometimes the tribes come and trade with us. It's always so cold up there that no one ever farms, so we hunt and fish for our food. What little grain we have comes from the south and it's always so expensive. But it's a nice place to grow up in…it made me strong enough to survive in the swamps."

Spear nodded with a cute smile. "And your parents?" she asked. "What did they think about you trying to join the army?"

"Well, nothing," he said with a sad smile. "I never knew my parents. The Chief found me in the snow next to a caravan that had been attacked. If I had parents they were killed that day."

"Oh…sorry," Spear said, averting her eyes from shame. "I didn't know."

"Its fine!" he said with a reassuring smile. "The Chief raised me himself so he could be considered my father…he was against me, Sayo, and Ieyasu going out of the village, but we were the last available candidates, so eventually he buckled and sent us off with a blessing."

"He sounds like a good man," she said.

"He is," he nodded. "And the first thing I do when we succeed is give my village all the money they need to survive. Winter's Pass will become a great place to live!"

Spear giggled. "Boy you've got it all figured out, huh?" she said.

"Well, what are you going to do?" he shot back.

"Well first, I'm going to have a good laugh at the Prime Minister begging my father for mercy," she said cheekily. "Then I suppose I'll clean house inside the Koken Temple."

Hey eyes suddenly turned dark. "And then I'll kill _them,_" she growled.

"Spear?" he asked hesitantly as she started to radiate an aura of bloodlust. "You're doing it again."

"Huh?" the aura vanished like smoke in the wind. "Whoops, my bad!"

The rest of the day was spent leisurely. Spear went shopping for a bit, he went to watch some street performers, they both went to the CDF headquarters to check on the new Captain Davenport, and finally they finished by walking the dimly lit streets together.

"That was fun," she smiled, admiring the new coat she had bought.

"Yeah it was," he admitted.

She suddenly ran in front of him and faced him. "Now we start _our _work," she said in a serious tone. "Follow me."

He nodded and ran after her, pulling up his collar and hood as he went. Spear had pulled the scarf she wore up around her nose like a mask, obscuring her face almost entirely.

"One of our targets has surfaced in the capital," she told him. "You remember Zank the Beheader?"

He nodded, remembering the image on the Grandmaster's wall.

"Well he's here now," she said. "And he's been preying on civilians. Father has asked us to stop him…and retrieve his Teigu."

His eyes widened. "Zank has a Teigu?" he said.

She nodded. "Our spies confirmed it last night," she said. "Its name is Omnipotent Five Sights: Spectator."

"What can it do?"

"From Master Haythem's findings, it's a support-type," she said. "It gives the user heightened perception abilities, allowing them to foresee attacks and detect enemies."

"So we have to be stealthy," he mused.

Spear nodded. "The CDF has been dispatched to find him," she said. "So all we have to do is wait for them to chase him into a corner."

He smirked and followed her as she clambered onto a nearby roof. "We'll wait here until he comes," she said. "Until then, keep an eye out for Night Raid."

"They're still active?" he asked. "I thought we blamed them for Ogre's death?"

"We did," she nodded. "But our spies have confirmed seeing one of them, Lubbock, casing a house near the south side of the city, owned by a man named Gamal."

"Shit," he swore. "At least it's not Akame we have to deal with…"

"Don't count on it," she said, flicking his forehead. "Akame is the most dangerous Assassin the empire ever produced…the only one who might be able to beat her is the Assassin's Mentor…or a group of Master Assassins."

"It takes an assassin to kill an assassin," he joked.

"Which is why we're going after Zank," she smirked, pulling out a collapsible lance from her coat and assembling it. "Now shush. We don't want to give away our position."

He nodded and settled back into a sitting position against the wall. A few hours passed as twilight faded into darkness, the only sound being the noisy running and shouting of the CDF as they searched for Zank. Finally, their work paid off. In the distance he saw a lone figure standing on the top of a nearby clock tower overlooking the city.

"Spear," he said, tapping her shoulder and pointing. "There he is."

She smirked and stood up. "Let's go," she said.

He nodded and ran after her, jumping along the rooftops and across wires and ropes as they approached Zank. The serial killer didn't seem to notice them otherwise…it was almost as if he was focusing on something else.

_Sucks to be him,_ he thought, jumping high and starting the climb to the top of the clock tower.

He paused at the lip of the roof, waiting for Spear to join him. As soon as she did, she nodded and the two of them jumped up in perfect synchronization. The sound of their footsteps on the pavement got Zank's attention.

"I was wondering when you two would show up," he grinned, looking at their covered and obscured faces. "Night Raid must think I'm a big deal to send _four_ assassins for me."

"We're not Night Raid," Spear said calmly, holding her lance at the ready. "But we will be taking you down."

He slowly began to circle around behind Zank, unsheathing his swords as he went. At the same time, Spear began to move to Zank's left, almost like a pair of hunting tigers. They'd attack from both sides at the same time, pinning him between their blades. Zank however, only grinned.

"Ooh, so you're not Night Raid?" he asked, playfully unsheathing a large pair of bastardized hidden blades that were common amongst professional killers. "Then you're either CDF, Imperial Army, or relatives of someone I killed come for some revenge."

"I'm not going to tell you," Tatsumi said, spinning his swords to draw Zank's attention away from Spear, who slipped in close behind the killer. "But even if I did it wouldn't matter. You're a dead man."

"Really?" Zank grinned like a smug cat as Spear lunged from behind.

Quick as a whip, Zank blocked her strike with one of his swords while his other one stopped Tatsumi's own attack from piercing his heart. His eyes opened in shock at the fact the man had been able to predict their movements to cleanly. Then his eyes drifted to the large green metal eye Zank had strapped to his forehead.

"Spectator," he growled, pushing off and darting to Spear's side.

"Yup," Zank cackled manically. "My darling Teigu that helps me kill…happy-happy~"

"Well then," he snarled. "We'll just have to take it from you."

With a burst of speed, he launched himself at Zank, baiting the man's attention towards his sword hand while his free one went for his knife. Zank only grinned and blocked both strikes. He smirked and then drove his knee into the man's chest. Zank only bent backwards to avoid the strike…but in the end put himself in the path of Spear's lance. At the last second he managed to jerk his head away, leaving a thin gash on his neck where the blade had grazed him. A trickle of blood ran down his cheek, a few drops splashing onto the stone roof.

"Such teamwork!" he laughed. "You guys must be experienced!"

Neither of them said anything, not wanting to give him a single weak point.

"So what do you do about the voices?" he asked. "The screams of those you've killed, begging for mercy and cursing up at you from hell…how do you deal with them?"

He looked over at Spear and started at her for a good ten seconds before the both of them busted out laughing. Zank, who had been smiling the whole time, suddenly frowned.

"Voices?" Spear smirked under her scarf. "I don't hear any voices. All who I've killed deserved it."

"Same here," Tatsumi smirked as Zank's frown turned into a deep snarl. "Could it be that Zank the Beheader feels remorse for the innocent?"

"YOU FUCKING SHITS!" he yelled, running at them, blades bared for stabbing.

Right away they moved, ducking low under him and slashing with their hidden blades at his ankles. By timing their cuts to the exact second after Zank had moved past them, they managed to cut both his ankle tendons at the base. Zank let out a surprised gasp as Spear suddenly twisted around and drove the butt of her lance into the man's pelvis, shattering it and the lower portion of his spine.

"Now, Tatsumi!" she yelled.

He nodded and turned around, plunging his knife into Zank's chest cavity through his back right where his heart should be. A few twists of the blade ensured that the wound would definitely be fatal before he stepped back and watched the man die. Zank gasped and wheezed hard, crimson blood spilling from his lips as his useless legs tried desperately to move, to carry him away from these killers. But finally, he stopped…but he wasn't dead yet. He rolled over onto his back and stared up at them as Tatsumi walked over to him and knelt.

"Retribution for the fallen," he recited the Templar death prayer. "You pay for your crimes in this life, Zank. May the Father of Understanding guide you to a purer path in the next."

Zank looked like he wanted to say something, but all that came out was a raspy gasp and a mouthful of blood. He coughed and wheezed for a few more seconds before his eyes grew dull and his arms went slack. Spear knelt down and pried the green eye-shaped Teigu off his head, pocketing it quickly as he closed the serial killer's eyes.

"We should get out of here," he said. "Zank said four assassins were after him. That means Night Raid will be here soon."

"Right," she nodded, folding her spear away. "Let's move."

They climbed down from the clock tower and vanished into the back alleyway, heading to the CDF headquarters to alert Davenport to Zank's body. After waiting a few days for the heat to die down from all the recent murders Zank had committed, they quickly headed back to the Compound.

"Mission success," he smiled as they walked into Chouri's study. "Zank the Beheader is dead."

"And the Teigu?" he asked.

Spear grinned and placed the eye on the desk. "Safe and sound, Father," she said.

Chouri grinned at the both of them. "Excellent work," he praised, lifting the green eye to the light as he walked around to a heavy iron table placed at the edge of the room. "Now…to dispose of this wretched item."

He placed the eye on the center of the table and withdrew a heavy iron hammer from within. He brought the hammer down hard on Spectator three times, each blow denting and deforming the smooth green metal. Sparks flew from the Teigu as it was slowly degraded into a useless hunk of scrap metal. Finally Chouri set the hammer down and looked at the two of them.

"Now there are only forty-seven," he smiled. "You two have done a great service for the Order."

"It was our pleasure, Grandmaster," Tatsumi grinned. "What do we do now?"

"Now, we must attend to some new business," Chouri sighed, sitting at his desk. "I admit I have some rather disturbing news from our spies in the north. I told the others yesterday, but it is only right that you know as well."

"What is it, father?" Spear asked, concern washing over her face.

"The Prince of the North, Numa Seika," Chouri said. "He has decided to rebel against the Empire and take back the land the tribes once held."

"Isn't that good?" he asked. "If the Empire has to put down a rebellion, they have to split their forces."

"Normally, yes," Chouri said, folding his hands under his chin. "But our troubles lie not with the rebellion itself…but with _who_ the Empire has sent to the north."

Spear's eyes widened. "You mean Esdeath," she said.

Chouri nodded. "Her army left its position in the west and have been spotted heading towards Numa Seika's base in the ice cliffs," he said. "Hopefully he can slow her down for a while, but she will eventually defeat him. And when she does, I fear Honest will put her skills to use defending the capital against assassins."

Both he and Spear noticeably swallowed. Esdeath defending the capital herself could set the Templars back YEARS.

"We've sent Seika some anonymous information regarding Esdeath's troops," Chouri continued. "It will allow him to defend his fortress for at least a week before Esdeath cracks him. In this time we must fortify ourselves as well as cause as much chaos in the government as we can."

He sat back in his chair and took a deep breath. "Master Rodgers has been instructed to take possession of all weapons entering the capital through the Grand Canal," he said. "And Master Torres has agreed to start riots in the east."

"What about the west?" he asked. "Shouldn't Master Haythem be in charge there?"

"Haythem has still not returned from his expedition," he sighed. "He has sent word claiming he has found some ruins that may contain a map. Until he returns I have asked John Pitcairn to take his place in the west."

He nodded. He had met John Pitcairn once before, a few days after he had joined the order. The man was a full colonel in the Imperial Army, noted for his impressive victories against a bandit army in the southwest.

"Master Pitcairn will see that Imperial weapons depots in the west are sabotaged," Chouri continued. "This will encourage the Western Tribes to begin an uprising which may attract attention from Honest."

"Allowing us to slip more spies into the capital," he thought out loud.

Chouri smiled and stood up. "Exactly," he said. "Now I have some more important assignments for the both of you. Tatsumi, I need you to join Master Rodgers. There is an officer he needs killed before he can take control of the port at the canal's mouth."

"Right away, Grandmaster," he said, bowing.

"Go now," Chouri smiled, bowing slightly. "And may the Father of Understanding guide you."

He returned the salute and headed to the armory, resupplying before heading out to the stables for a horse.

"No rest for the weary," he muttered as he rode out towards the Grand Canal. "But this must be done."


	4. Poisons and the Like

Chapter 4: Poisons and the Like

It was a three day ride to the mouth of the canal. By the time he got there, it was midday on the fourth. Around the mouth of the canal was a large city called Razik, the busiest port city in the Empire. More cargo flowed through this place in six hours than all other trade centers in six days. The massive cruiser _Ryussen _often docked here for repairs, seeing it was the only port in the empire that could hold it.

He quickly checked his horse into a stable on the outskirts and made his way towards the local navy office. Woodes would be waiting for him there.

He took notice of a number of wanted posters on the walls of buildings as he walked by. Most of them were for bandits and crime lords, but he did see a lot of pictures of known members of Night Raid.

_Looks like Honest really wants these people dead_, he smirked, pulling up his hood and collar.

After maybe twenty minutes of walking, he made it to the Navy Office. As he walked inside, he noticed how empty the place was. There was only one person sitting at the reception desk; a young man who looked so terrified his heart might jump out of his chest and run away.

"Welcome to the Imperial Navy Recruiting Office!" the boy said, jumping to attention and snapping a terrified smile.

"Uh…thanks?" he said.

"Would you like to hear about your options in serving in his majesty's navy?" the boy said, still near shouting.

"No," he said. "I'm looking for Woodes Rodgers."

The boy paled. "Ad-Ad-Admiral Rodgers?" he squeaked.

He nodded and the boy stood up. "I'll…go see if he's here," he said.

A few minutes later the boy returned, with Woodes following him. Unlike their last meeting, Woodes was now wearing a decorated naval uniform instead of his leather coat. His hair was still styled properly and he carried his usual cutlass and pistol at his hip.

"Ah, Tatsumi," he smiled, his scarred face contorting wildly. "I was wondering when you would get here."

"Mas…Admiral Rodgers," he corrected, saluting him instead of bowing. "It is good to see you again."

"Yes, yes, indeed," he said before looking at the boy at the desk. "Orsol, I am not to be disturbed for the next hour or so. Even if the Emperor himself comes knocking on my door, do not let him in. If you do, I will bust your sorry ass down to swabbing latrines faster than you can blink, are we clear?"

"Y-y-y-yessir," the boy whimpered as Woodes shot him a glare.

"Good," he said. "Come with me, Tatsumi."

Woodes led him back to the officer's quarters, more specifically the Admiral's quarters. They were lavishly furnished with expensive gold and fine furniture. The back wall itself was actually a massive balcony that offered a nice view of the city.

"Grand Admiral Sortez used to come here a lot for inspection," Woodes said, pouring himself a brandy. "But thanks to his declining health, this place has become fairly deserted."

"A good place for us to work in," he nodded, looking out the window.

"Indeed," Woodes said, taking a drink. "I assume the Grandmaster told you what I need done here?"

"He said you need an officer killed," he said. "After that, you'll be able to steal imperial weapons."

Woodes nodded. "I need one shipment in particular," he said. "I've discovered that a renowned scientist named Doctor Stylish has developed a few interesting kinds of poisons for the Empire."

"Poison?" he cocked an eyebrow.

Woodes nodded. "According to our spies, these poisons can paralyze a full grown man within seconds. Another brand can induce sleep in which the target will wake up without knowing what hit him. I feel these poisons would be better suited to our purposes than the Empire…and the man I need dead is in charge of the warehouse where they are being held."

"I'll do it," he nodded. "Where can I find him?"

Woodes provided him with the man's name, address, and station, along with a few tips and tricks about how to kill him. Within an hour, he was back on the street, heading towards the waterfront.

The man's name was Baen. He belonged to a private 'security company' that worked inside the city. Woodes had long-since known that they were just another one of the Prime Minister's off the book organizations; stealing precious cargo from the shipments they were paid to guard. Woodes had tried to use backdoor negotiations to allow the Templars access to the warehouse, but Baen had been stubborn in his answers. It was now clear that the man had to die in order for them to get their hands on the toxins.

He headed to a sleazy bar in the slums, a place that members of Baen's gang were said to congregate in. He walked in the door and sat down at a nearby table, eyes darting around the place. It was a small, filthy, and smoke-filled place. He could see drugs on the tables, men passed out at the counter, and grime-soaked sailors swearing up a storm. However, he did see a man wearing the uniform of Baen's gang sitting at the middle of the bar.

"Excuse me?"

He turned and looked at a cute young girl in an apron standing next to him. "May I take your order, sir?"

"Just a beer for now," he said, handing her a gold coin. Right away, her eyes widened and she quickly slipped the coin into her pocket before fetching him his drink.

"Here you are, sir," she said fearfully.

"Thanks," he said, taking a sip before watching the man.

"Ey, Connie!" said one of the thugs at the bar. "Watcha got there, girl? Present for me?"

"Lucius, stop!" she yelled out as the large man grabbed her and pinned her against the wall.

"Oh, what 'ave we 'ere?" the man smirked, pulling out a coin pouch from her dress. "Why, this might even pay off a quarter of 'yer old man's debt!"

"Stop it, that's mine!" she begged as the man began to assault her further, touching her face and chest like she was an object to him.

He frowned and looked up from his beer. "Hey!" he shouted at the man. "Leave her alone!"

The fat man looked away from her and gave him an ugly look. "Wot's it to ya?" he slurred. "Wot I do with me women is me own damn business…so piss off!"

He sighed and put down his mug. "Here's how this will go down," he said. "You're going to release that girl and give her back her money. Then you are going to walk out that door and never come back."

"And if I don't?" he sneered.

"Then I'll remove your fingers and shove them right where the sun don't shine," he said, completely calm.

The thug laughed, along with the majority of the people in the bar.

"Big talk 'comin from such a little man," he said, dropping the girl and walking over to him, reaching out with a filthy, greasy hand. "Why don't you 'jus run along, little boy, an AAARGH!"

As soon as the man's hand came close to him, he quickly grabbed it and twisted far enough to snap his wrist cleanly. He then planted his boot firmly in the man's solar and sent him flying back across the bar. He pulled his knife from his belt and calmly walked over to the thug, who was groaning and moaning on the floor.

"I was going to be civilized," he said, doing his best impression of Master Haythem when the man was mad. "But you have forced my hand."

"Wait, please!" the thug begged as he cut the man's belt and hauled him to his feet. The man's trousers quickly fell down around his ankles, eliciting a series of chuckles from the other patrons as he kicked the man into the street.

"Are you alright?" he asked the girl, Connie, if he heard correctly.

"Y-yes, thank you, sir," she said as he handed her back her coin purse. "You've really saved me."

"It's okay," he smiled. "People like that need to be taught a lesson one way or another."

"Still, I am grateful to you," she said, a small smile adorning her cheeks. "Would you like another drink?"

"No, thank you," he said. "It was very good, though."

She blushed. "My father makes it himself," she mumbled. "I will tell him you liked it."

He smiled, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw the gang member get up and head for the door without paying for his food.

_Two birds with one stone,_ he mentally grinned.

"Hold on," he said, walking over to the door and blocking the man from leaving. "You didn't pay."

"Feh. You don't scare me," he spat. "Lucius was a pansy anyway. Now get the fuck outta my way, or…"

He pulled a wicked-looking fish knife from his belt.

"Cute," he said. "But you've made a big mistake."

"Yeah? Wassat?" he sneered.

"You brought a knife to a gunfight," he smirked, drawing his pistol and leveling it at the man's head.

The entire bar went silent at the sight of the gun. The gangster himself looked the most frightened of all of them. Quickly he dropped his knife and threw a few coins on the table.

"Excellent," he said. "Now you and I are going to have a chat."

He spun him around and marched him out the back door into an alleyway.

"What do you want?" the thug asked, his hands in the air.

"Baen," he said. "Where is he?"

"He should be in the warehouse by now," the thug said. "His office is in the back!"

"Good," he said, flexing his wrist and cutting the man's throat. "Sorry, but I can't let you go telling your friend I'm coming."

**FIFTEEN KILOMETERS FROM THE CAPITAL**

**LEONE**

She sighed as she relaxed in the hot spring, thankful for the moments respite from the intensity of their last mission. The capital had become quite dangerous ever since Ogre the Demon had been found stabbed to death in his own home. She grimaced a little at the memory of that night, her shoulder still throbbing from being shot.

_Who was that anyway?_ She wondered, rubbing her shoulder. She had only gotten a glimpse of the boy (she assumed it was a boy) before he had vanished, but his hood had prevented her from seeing his face. Although, thanks to Lionelle, she had managed to catch his scent. It was a strange scent to say the least…he smelled of open plains, cold woods, dusty mountains, and of course, blood…lots of blood. Just thinking about it made her nose tingle with excitement.

"Ugh, I really am becoming a cat," she sighed under her breath. "Stupid Teigu."

Only a handful of people knew this, but like all the rest of the Teigu; Lionelle had a downside. In this case, the longer it was used, the more feline the user became. She wouldn't be sprouting a tail anytime soon, but the cravings for milk and belly-rubs were becoming irritating.

"You okay, Leone?"

She looked to her left to see Najenda get into the hot spring. She was so deep in thought that she hadn't even noticed her.

"Yeah, I guess," she shrugged.

"Still hung up over the guy who shot you?" the former general asked with a sly smile.

She sighed. "Yeah, I guess I am."

Najenda chuckled and reclined in the spring. "That boy, whoever he is, has caused quite a stir," she said. "First Ogre, then Zank…and he may not be working along."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I just sent a message back to the Commander," she said. "He wanted to know if we were the ones behind all these assassinations as of late. I said no, and he told me to keep an eye out for a rouge assassin group operating in the capital…it seems the Revolution wants to try and recruit these people."

"Yeah, but they obviously don't like us," she said, gesturing to her shoulder.

"All the same, we've been ordered to try and talk with them," she said. "So if you find that boy again or someone from his organization…just make sure they're in once piece when you bring them back."

She grinned. "You got it, boss," she said.

**RAZIK**

He scowled, looking at the warehouse that Baen's gang used as a headquarters. The place was heavily guarded; at least fifteen guards were stationed around the main gate and all of them were armed heavily. The building itself was fairly tall with narrow windows on the top floor, allowing no way for him to see what was going on inside the building.

"Damn," he sighed, skirting around the back end of the warehouse. "No rest for the weary."

He found no entrance, but there was a section of the building that was very close to a nearby rooftop. Not wanting to waste time, he quickly climbed to the roof and jumped across onto the warehouse, his boots clanking on the metal surface. He quickly walked around, searching for a skylight or some other means of access. Finally, he found a small window set into the roof and jimmied it open. He slipped inside and landed on a catwalk overlooking the main interior.

"Alright, you maggots," growled a gruff and almost dog-like voice. "Baen wants all our debts cleared out, so get out there and make some money!"

He looked down and saw a group of thugs wearing the gang's colors gathered around a tall man with a bushy beard. He scowled, not seeing Baen himself amongst the crowd. The man should be in his office…which he saw pressed against the back wall.

"Finally, something is going my way," he sighed, creeping along the catwalk.

As soon as he was out of sight, he dropped down behind a stack of crates and waited as a man passed by. He seemed to be checking each of the crates, so it would only be a matter of time before he found him. Quickly, he flexed his wrist and tacked the man as he rounded a corner, stabbing him through his throat to silence any screams.

"Sorry," he muttered as the man died.

He quickly hid the body between some crates and moved on, winding around the stacks of cargo until he got to Baen's office. He leaned up to a window and peaked inside. He scowled at what he saw.

Baen was standing up over the body of a young girl. She was completely naked and looked like she had been raped very recently. Baen himself was only just pulling his pants back up.

_Scum,_ he growled, walking to the door and kicking it in.

"Huh? What the hell?" Baen shouted as he stormed inside. "Who the hell are you?"

"Retribution," he snarled, driving his hidden blade into the man's jugular. "May the Father of Understanding guide you to a purer path in the next life."

He turned his attention to the girl. She was still alive, thankfully, although the massive bruise on her forehead unnerved him. She'd probably been kidnapped and used by the gang for some time now.

"Savages," he growled, taking the Baen's jacket and wrapping it around her. He wouldn't be able to take her with him when he escaped, it was too risky. But he would tell Woodes that there was a girl who needed attention when they stormed the warehouse.

He quickly made his escape through the skylight and dropped down back to the street, making his way back towards the Naval Office. He didn't even bother with the boy at the desk this time, climbing straight into Woodes' office through the balcony. The Admiral was sitting at his desk, facing away from the window with a document in his hands.

"Couldn't you have used the door?" he asked, not even turning around to face him.

"It's more fun this way," he smirked.

Woodes chuckled. "No wonder Haythem likes you so much," he said, turning around. "I take it Baen's dead?"

He nodded. "They had a girl captive as well," he said. "She's alive, but traumatized."

"I'll send the CDF a note right away," he nodded. "My thanks for dealing with that man, Tatsumi, he has been a pain in my ass for quite some time."

"It was nothing, Master Rodgers," he smiled. "I'm just happy I could help."

Woodes laughed and sat down at his desk again. "You know, you remind me of someone I sailed with," he said. "A young man about your age…his name's Wave."

"Why do I remind you of him?" he asked, taking a seat across the desk.

"The both of you are always happy to help rid the world of scum," he said. "Wave always seemed determined to eliminate pirates as you always love to kill our enemies. Hell, the boy did so well that the Emperor tasked me to give him a Teigu."

"Which one did he get?" he asked.

"Grand Chariot," he said. "It's an armor Teigu, like Incursio. Enhances strength and reaction time. I wouldn't worry about him becoming an enemy, though…the boy always seemed to know what was right and what was wrong."

He smiled. "If you say so," he said, standing up. "I think I should report back to the Grandmaster now."

"Indeed you should," he said. "I've arranged transport on a barge back to the capital. It'll save you two days riding."

"Thank you," he said, bowing in the Templar fashion. "May the Father of Understanding guide you."

"And you as well," Woodes replied. "Good luck."

The barge left the city about ten minutes after he arrived, sailing upriver through the night until reaching the outer wall at seven in the morning the following day. He disembarked as soon as the gangplank was lowered and quickly headed off into the crowd. He headed for a local inn and tavern that Shay and other Knights frequented…mostly because it was owned and operated by Elise herself.

Aside from being one of the instructors to new recruits to the Order, Elise's inn acted as a Templar safe house inside the capital. If assassinations went bad, all Knights were to report to the inn, where the other members would be able to protect you and arrange for safe passage back to the compound. Many noblemen and upper-class politicians frequented the inn as well, which often allowed Elise to weasel secrets from between drunken (and sometimes poisoned) lips.

He walked up the street towards The Holy Cross Inn, watching the alleyways for dangers. The streets seemed to be much more hostile since his last visit…possibly from the assassinations being carried out. He walked inside and was assaulted by a wave of liquor fumes and smoke. There were richly-dressed individuals sitting everywhere, laughing and smoking as waitresses served them. He ignored them and moved towards the back towards an area marked "private." He walked inside the small conference room to see Elise and Shay inside.

"The mighty warrior returns!" Shay laughed.

"How much has he had to drink?" he sighed with a tired smile.

"Six beers," Elise said with a smile. "Woodes has told us about your work in Razik…hope you're up for another round."

He sighed. "Can I have something to eat first?" he asked.

Elise nodded and left to go get him some dinner, leaving him with Shay.

"Night Raid's getting bolder," the assassin sighed, somehow not tipsy any more. "Two hits were carried out by Akame herself; a rich family on the outskirts and their little girl, Aria. Another was that oil merchant named Gamal."

"Damn," he sighed. "Hope we don't have to fight them."

"We'll have to someday," he sighed as Elise came back in. "But to be sure, the three of us are going to take this mission together."

He blinked. Two Knights and a Master Templar going on the same mission was rare. Master Templars usually relied on Knights to carry out orders…but then again Elise was the 'do it yourself' type.

He quickly ate a small meal of steak and potatoes with a glass of water before the three of them pulled up their hoods/collars and took to the streets.

"Who's the target?" he asked.

"A relative of the Prime Minister," Elise said, taking point as he and Shay flanked her. "His name is Iokal, Honest's cousin. The man is a pig, using Honest's name to get whatever he wants. He employs members of the Koken Temple as his guards and brutes, not to mention he uses drugs to ensnare young girls for his personal harem. He's fond of torturing them for his own amusement before giving them to his guards."

"Just the kind of bastard we want dead," Shay said.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Are we doing it tonight?"

Elise nodded. "The Grandmaster himself has ordered this assassination," she said. "So we will do this quick and clean."

"And the harem?" Shay asked.

"Not our problem," she said. "Master Davenport will be dispatching the CDF at twelve tonight so they will be taken care of."

He nodded. They couldn't afford to waste time on the girls. Iokal was their prime target, mandated by the Grandmaster. He came first.

They wandered around the city for a few more hours, waiting for the cover of darkness to mask their movement. Elise gave the signal at about eight o'clock and they made their way towards Iokal's private compound at the edge of the wall. The place was a strategist's nightmare. There was far too much cover for them and the windows were large and unbarred, allowing basically anyone to slip in and out.

"It's almost as if he wants us to kill him," he chuckled from their vantage point in a nearby tree.

"Well let's not keep him waiting," Elise said, leaping to another branch.

He and Shay followed her through the trees, leaping from branch to branch over the low wall and onto a low-hanging portion of the roof. There were very few guards here, and none of them looked anything like trained martial artists.

"Split up," Elise said. "Search the place and find Iokal. If you run into guards, kill them."

"Got it," Shay grunted, running off to the north.

"Tatsumi, take the east portion," she said before running off to the south.

He turned and ran east, ducking through an open window and into a richly decorated hallway. He straightened up and checked his equipment, making sure his hidden blade worked while cocking his pistols. Spear had told him the Koken Temple masters were not pushovers, so he had to be ready for anything. He made his way through the mansion, keeping his eyes and ears open for sounds of life. The place seemed deserted…until he heard rapid footsteps from the hallway to the left.

"Lousy wretch," came a male voice. "'Get me Trinia Secci, she's my favorite!' Why, if he weren't the Prime Minister's cousin I'd rip his head off!"

He didn't waste any time, charging ahead to meet the man as he rounded the corner. He kicked off the wall and jumped high above him, plunging his knife into the man's skull. He twisted it twice and then pulled back noting that the guard bore the Koken Temple symbol on his right shoulder.

"One down," he said, putting the blade away. "Four to go."

He turned and walked down the hallway where the guard had come from. As he walked down the hall, he could hear the sounds of whimpering and fear. He knew if he opened the doors that lined the hallway, he would find little girls stricken with fear. He grit his teeth and walked faster. The sooner Iokal died the better.

He came across another guard on his way towards the center of the mansion; a woman with a scar on her cheek. He ambushed her from inside a closet, stabbing her heart and letting her die quickly.

_Her employer will not have the same luxury,_ he smirked, shutting the door behind him and continuing on.

He looked out the window to his right and saw Shay dashing across the courtyard with his hidden blades outstretched, plunging them into the neck of the third Koken Temple Guard. He caught his eyes and nodded, holding up two fingers to show his two kills. Shay nodded and disappeared inside. He continued moving but found nothing. Five minutes later though, he heard a loud and girly scream from the south.

"That's Iokal," he murmured. "Time to get out of…here?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something glint from the trees outside. His body moved on its own, throwing himself down to the ground as a thin beam of energy lanced through the window and into the wood where his chest would have been a second ago.

"Fuck!" he yelled, getting up and running towards the south.

More shots split the air, impacting only a few inches away from his body as he sprinted. He looked outside and cursed violently. Running towards the house were three people: Leone, Mine, and Akame of Night Raid.

"Assassins!" he yelled out into the mansion courtyard, where Elise was just sheathing her rapier. "Night Raid is here!"

"Get out!" she yelled. "Our work is done!"

"Not so fast!"

His eyes widened as something collided with his back, knocking him off the balcony and into the fountain below. He sputtered and sprung to his feet, hand going for his pistol as he looked up at his attacker.

"You again," he moaned as Leone stood up and settled into a battle stance.

"Heh, so you remember me?" she gave a predatory smile. "And it looks like you're not alone either."

Her eyes drifted to Elise as Akame and Mine jumped down onto the courtyard.

"We're not here to fight," the red-eyed swordswoman said. "Our boss wants to meet you."

He snuck a quick glance at Elise, who had drawn her sword again and was watching the three of them.

"Please tell your boss that my associates and I are not interested," she said. "We have no desire to be a part of your revolution, Night Raid."

"Well, we were ordered to take at least one of you back," Mine said, lifting her rifle. "And that means-URK!"

The petite sniper suddenly stiffened and fell over, a red-tipped dart sticking out of the back of her neck. He looked up to the roof and saw Shay sitting there, his air-rifle already loaded for another shot.

"Don't even think about, it, lass," he said, training the weapon on Akame, who had gone for her sword. "I can shoot faster than you can move."

He smirked at Shay's timely arrival and stepped out of the fountain, shaking the water from his hands and coat.

"Damn," he heard Leone swear. "Thought we had this one."

"You didn't," he said calmly, drawing his pistol and leveling it at her.

"You're going to shoot me again?" she smirked. "You know I'll heal."

He returned her smirk. "I know," he said. "Which is why we're going to let you all go. Tell your boss that we have no intention of working with Night Raid…and that if you try this again, we won't be as merciful."

He nodded to Shay, who quickly landed two darts in Akame and Leone, the two assassins dropping to the ground in a blissful slumber.

"We are done," Elise said, sheathing her rapier. "All guards have been killed?"

"I got two," he said.

"Three," Shay nodded, dropping off the roof.

"And Iokal is dead," she said, looking at the mansion behind her. "Now we leave. The CDF will be here shortly."

"And Night Raid?" he asked, jerking his thumb.

"They'll either be captured or escape," she said. "We can't deal with them now, unfortunately."

"Agreed," Shay nodded. "Let's go!"

And they took off into the night, heading back towards the city.


	5. Become the Hunter

Chapter 5: Become the Hunter

**HELLO EVERYONE, I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE LATE FOR ME TO DO AUTHOR'S NOTES, BUT I REALLY JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR READING AND REVIEWING. THIS STORY IS HOPEFULLY GOING TO BE A BIG HIT WITH YOUR SUPPORT! IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS, DON'T HESITATE TO REVIEW OR PM ME!**

**ALL HAIL THE SECRETARY!**

It had been at most twelve hours since the assassination of Iokal and his guards and already the city was on high alert. The CDF had been on scene within minutes of them leaving, just in time to see Night Raid's Akame fleeing the scene with two more unidentified assassins. As of now, they were in the CDF's headquarters, awaiting an opportunity to escape the city unnoticed.

"Matthew, surely there's something that can be done!" Elise said, leaning on the CDF captain's desk.

"Elise, I told you," Davenport said. "Honest is practically breathing down my neck with all these assassinations! It's a miracle my position has not been compromised already with all the strings I pull to keep the spotlight on Night Raid!"

"Damn," she growled, standing straight up. "When will the heat let up?"

"As soon as Night Raid is captured, I'm afraid," he said. "There are a few ways in and out of the city, but they are far too risky…the Grand General's troops guard all of them."

"What if we create a diversion?" Shay asked. "A few pounds of gunpowder might buy us some time."

"Out of the question, Master Cormac," he sighed. "Only the Army has enough raw explosive to accomplish such a diversion…and it's all locked inside the Imperial Army Barracks."

Silence reigned for a good thirty seconds or so before Elise lowered her head.

"So how long are we talking about?" she asked.

"A week at most," Davenport sighed. "More if Night Raid decides to assassinate more people."

"By that time Esdeath will have finished with the Northerners," Shay growled. "We'll have missed the window to knock off other politicians."

"I will do everything in my power to keep the Minister's eyes off our Order," Davenport said. "But it will take some time before you can return to the compound."

"Right," Elise said. "Shay, Tatsumi…we're going."

"Yes Master de la Serre," he said, bowing to Davenport before following the two of them to the door.

Before they could get out, the door burst open, revealing a young auburn-haired girl dressed in a CDF uniform and a small white dog.

"Captain Davenport!" she said, snapping a salute. "Mission…oh, am I interrupting something?"

"No, no, Lieutenant," he smiled. "We were just finishing up."

"Oh, well then," she said, walking forwards to the desk and put a file in front of the captain. "Koro and I want to report a successful mission?"

"Excellent!" he smiled at the girl before looking at them. "Ah, Madame de la Serre, allow me to introduce one of our top officers, Seryu Ubiquitous and her partner, Koro."

As Elise moved to shake hands with the girl, he saw Davenport mouthing the word "Teigu." He nodded and stepped back away from the desk, ready to attack if the order was given.

"Are you friends of the Captain?" the young woman asked.

"Yes indeed," Elise said with a sweet smile. "He and I have been friends since our childhood."

They left as quickly as they could, heading back to the Holy Cross. As soon as they got there, they retreated to the private area.

"Damn," Elise muttered, banging her fist on the table.

"What are we going to do now?" he asked as Shay reached into a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of whisky.

"The only thing we can do, lad," he sighed. "We wait for the heat to die down…and thank our lucky stars we're not on the wanted posters."

He nodded. It would be a thousand times more difficult to leave if everyone knew their faces.

"Shay is right," Elise said, snatching the whisky bottle from his hands and uncorking it. "For now, we lay low…that means no heroics, Tatsumi."

"Why just me?" he asked.

"Because despite his alcoholism, Shay knows how to keep quiet," she said, taking a long swig of whisky.

"Oi, I am not an alcoholic," he protested. "I just like a glass every now and then."

"Do I have to remind you of what happened in Valley Ridge?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"Oh, that's a low blow," he mumbled, clutching his chest like he'd been stabbed.

"What happened at Valley Ridge?" he asked, pulling up a seat.

"He was sent to kill a slaver who had been kidnapping local children and selling them to the empire," she said. "The man was attending a party the night of the hit and the wine flowed like water. Shay got so drunk he shot the man in broad daylight and had to escape when he could barely stand."

Shay groaned. "Did you really have to tell that story, Elise?"

"Yes," she smiled. "Our young comrade asked a question…it is my duty as a Master to see he knows the truth."

Shay mumbled something under his breath and put his head down on the counter while Elise told him a number of amusing stories about the dark-haired assassin and his love of the old 'glug-glug.'

Days passed quickly, and thankfully there were no further assassinations. He spent his days wandering around the capital's many business and residential districts, occasionally dipping into his pockets for a new treat that was selling like water in the desert: ice cream.

"Not bad," he mused, taking a small lick of the white frozen cream. "Not bad at all."

He finished his cone and kept walking along the side streets towards the slums. If he was being followed, that would be the best place to lose any pursuers. As he walked through, he took notice of the condition of the place. Buildings were rotting, the pavement was chipping, children ran around in rags or even stark naked as they played in the streets…and yet these people smiled. He saw more smiling faces here than in all the other portions of the capital combined. He allowed himself a brief smirk as he passed through the crowd.

_These people must know the end is near, _he thought, hands in his pockets as walked. _They know their fortunes are about to change. _

Three more days passed and finally Davenport had assured them it was safe to return to the capital. He also told them that Esdeath had succeeded in not only capturing Numa Seika's fortress…but she had also broken his mind to the point where he saw himself as nothing more than a dog. He still shivered at that information.

After a day's travel by carriage, the three of them arrived back at the compound and headed straight to the Grandmaster's Study. Spear was there as well, standing guard at her father's right shoulder.

"Mission successful, Grandmaster," Elise said, bowing. "Iokal is dead."

"Baen of Razik is also dead, Grandmaster," he piped up. "Master Rodgers should be able to take the weapons he needs."

"Excellent work, the both of you," Chouri smiled. "Now our work can move to the second step."

"So soon?" Elise asked, cocking her head.

"With all due respect, Grandmaster," Shay said, stepping forwards, "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Excuse me, Masters," he said, raising his hand. "What is going on?"

"Ah, forgive me, Tatsumi," Chouri smiled grandfatherly. "You have done so much for us and yet we have yet to properly induct you into the Order. Come here."

He hesitantly took a few steps forwards as the old man rose and slipped a silver ring with the Templar Cross emblazoned in red across its face from his pocket. Almost robotically, he held out his bare right hand and allowed Chouri to slip the ring on. The ring was proof of his allegiance now. He was truly a Knight of the Templar Order.

"As you know, our master goal is to overthrow the corruption of the Empire," Chouri said, sitting back down. "While we could simply infiltrate the palace and kill the Emperor like Grandmaster de Sable did a thousand years ago, we must ensure that the remains of the old regime do not spread to our new world."

"Think of it like killing a weed," Elise told him. "You have to pull up all the roots before cutting the stalk."

"Quite right," Chouri smiled. "Our first and foremost step is to first pull up the roots of the weed, so to speak. Men like Iokal and Baen, who would continue their cruelty even after the Emperor is dead, must be killed. Afterwards, we must inspire the common people to rise up against their oppressors. This can only be done after killing the men who kept them in chains."

"But we've only liberated a few areas outside the capital," Shay said. "If we were to move now and cause an uprising, we could draw the Empire's attention onto ourselves."

"I see," he mused. "Then why don't we just continue with step one?"

"Because with Esdeath on her way back to the Capital," Chouri said, "Honest may use her reputation to frighten the people back into submission and install more tyrants into the local governments. If Numa Seika had held out for just a few more days, I believe this would be a different story altogether. But no, Master Cormac…now is the time to begin step two…and I will personally oversee its beginning."

An audible gasp was heard from everyone in the room. The Grandmaster leaving the Compound was not unheard of, but with the most powerful enemy they faced returning from conquest, this was an ill-placed gamble.

"Grandmaster, this is madness," Shay said, walking right up to the desk and slamming his hands down. "Esdeath will be a day's march from the Compound…and that means the Beasts will be with her. Honest forced you out of the Prime Minister's office once already…if he thinks you're making another run for it, he'll not hesitate to kill you."

"Father, I agree with Shay," Spear said, putting her hand on the old man's shoulder. "This is unnecessarily risky…we could send word to our spies to spread rumors regarding the revolution?"

"No," Chouri said, standing to his full height. "No…for too long we have waited in darkness, simply cutting scales from the snake. Now we must go for its head. I will travel to the city of Anduin and start an uprising…perhaps we can convince the viceroy to pledge his allegiance to the Order?"

"But Grandmaster-"

"This discussion is over, Shay," Chouri said with a bit of steel in his voice. "My mind is made up. However, I will not go alone…I will take a guard force with me."

"Father, if you will not reconsider then I will go with you," Spear said, stepping forwards.

Chouri chuckled. "I assumed you would say that," he said. "Then the matter is settled. I will leave in two days' time."

The rest of the conversation was spent trying to get back on the topic of Chouri leaving the Compound, but the Grandmaster had an ironclad will. He would not reconsider. In his mind, it was a brave but foolish gesture. Chouri was making a huge gamble, but if it worked, they would be able to accomplish even more.

He sighed and walked out of the study, his head swimming with all the information that had been thrown around. He headed to the kitchen, which was usually run by trainees and the children of the Knights. After stopping for a quick bite, he headed to the top of the Compound to watch the sunset. But when he got there, he realized he would not be alone.

"Oh, hey, Spear," he said, climbing up the last few steps and onto the stone platform.

"Tatsumi," she sighed, not even looking at him as she stared out at the sun.

"Everything okay?" he asked, standing next to her.

"Yeah, just trying to wrap my head around why father wants to gamble his life," she shrugged.

"He thinks it will help the Order," he replied. "If you forget about Esdeath, then it's actually a good plan."

She giggled. "Look at you," she playfully punched his shoulder. "Since when did you become a strategist?"

"The same time you became a model young woman," he laughed.

She punched him again, although this time none-to-gently. They traded barbs for a few more minutes before falling silent and staring at the horizon.

"It's beautiful," she finally said, her eyes sweeping back and forth across the barren rocky wasteland.

"It kind of is," he admitted. "It's a shame we won't be able to see more of it once the fighting begins."

She nodded and sighed. "I practically grew up here," she said with a sad smile. "Except for the time I spent at the Koken Temple, this was my home…"

"Come on, Spear," he said, laying his hand on her shoulder. "It's not like you're never coming back here. Once the Grandmaster starts an uprising, you'll both come back here again. You're one of the strongest fighters I know…you're definitely going to see this through."

She smiled. "It looks like your optimism is infectious, Tatsumi," she said, leaning close to him.

He blinked as he felt something cool press against his cheek before she leaned back and smiled at him in her usual cheeky fashion.

"Wha?" was all he could muster.

"We'll do what comes next when I get back," she said, turning and vanishing down the stairs with a flash of blonde hair.

"Uh….."

He stood there dumbly, hand brushing against the cool spot on his cheek as the sun finally set below the horizon.

"Wow."

**THREE DAYS LATER**

"OOOF!" he grunted as Shay planted a kick to his stomach and sent him to the ground.

"Sloppy," he grunted as he sheathed his sword. "You've gotten really sloppy as of late, lad…what's eating you?"

"Shut up," he growled, springing back to his feet and rushing him with his sword.

Shay sighed and shook his head as he reached out with both his arms towards the biting steel heading for his chest. With a quick flex, his hidden blades sprung from their bracers and intercepted his strike. He blinked in surprise as Shay quickly disarmed him and knocked him down again.

"Had you not been angry, you'd have seen that 'comin," he said, squatting down next to him. "What's wrong lad…you've not been yourself the past few days."

"I don't know," he sighed, sitting up and rubbing his eyes with one hand. "It's just…I really need to get stronger…and it's not happening fast enough. I'm still the weakest Knight I know about and yet I'm sent on these important missions…if I don't start improving fast, I might screw up and let a target escape. Or worse, reveal the Order to the Empire."

Shay sighed and handed him back his sword. "Do you think you're weak, Tatsumi?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," he said. "I'm weaker than everyone here!"

"But you killed Baen…and Ogre," he said. "Not to mention two of the top members of the Koken Temple. I know generals who would have a hard time dealing with them."

"What are you saying?" he asked, looking up at his teacher.

"That the word 'weak' is severely misused," Shay smiled. "You may not be as strong as me, Elise, or the Masters, but you are strong in your own ways. But if you want to get stronger, I think I can rectify that."

"Really? How?" he asked.

Shay's smile turned somewhat evil as he turned his back and walked into the Compound. "Pack up your gear," he said. "I'm going to personally train you to hunt."

He cocked an eyebrow as Shay disappeared inside. But he wasn't about to refuse free training from the deadliest killer he knew, so he went and packed up. Half an hour later, the two of them were walking towards an old riverbed about thirty kilometers from the Compound.

"So what are going to be doing?" he asked.

"Well, like I said," Shay said. "I'm going to teach you how to hunt."

"But I already know how to fight and kill targets," he said.

"You're not listening to me, lad," he said. "Hunting your target and killing your target are two separate things. Remember, your targets aren't going to fall to your blade willingly. They'll do whatever they can to stay alive, and that means throwing whatever they can at you."

"I don't understand," he said.

"And that's precisely the reason why I'm bringing you out here," he said.

They walked out the rest of the distance in silence. The whole time his mind was divided in two separate realms of thought. The first was dedicated to trying to figure out the meaning behind Shay's words. The other was trying to figure out what Spear meant when she said they'd do what came next when she came back from her mission.

Finally, they arrived at the sight of the ancient river. Most of the water was long gone, but the path it had made was still there. A canyon at least thirty feet deep wound gracefully across the red earth. Dotting the land around it were what looked like fallen trees made from stone, some of them poking out of the cliffs like rungs on a ladder. At the very bottom of the canyon was a shallow river that still flowed calmly across the bottom.

"This place is even older than the Order," Shay said. "Master Haythem did some research on the rock around it…its well over sixty million years old."

"Whoa," he breathed. "How big is it?"

"It cuts from the north to the south straight across the width of the Empire," he shrugged. "But that's not the reason we're here are we?"

He pointed about sixty yards ahead of him. "See that rabbit?" he asked. "That'll be supper. Go get it."

"Alright," he said, sprinting across the cracked earth towards the unsuspecting rabbit.

Before he was even twenty feet away from Shay, the ground in front of him split open, revealing a large serpent hiding in wait. The danger beast hissed and barred its fangs, ready to bite him. He panicked and fumbled with his sword as a shot split the air…and fortunately the snake's skull.

He turned around and saw Shay calmly reloading his pistol.

"How…?"

"I knew it was there the whole time?" he said, holstering his weapon. "Kikatha Snakes always leave their snouts above ground so they can breathe…I just saw it knew there was a snake there."

"But it almost killed me!" he protested.

"But you're still here, aren't ya, lad?" he laughed. "I'm going to be honest here, Tatsumi. Your strength isn't even close to mine or a lot of the Masters…but your speed is something to be reckoned with. I've seen people eaten by Kikatha before they even have a chance to scream. You managed to get a hand on your sword. That speed will definitely save your life, lad. Hell, you're already faster than Elise."

Those words sparked a small fire inside him. Strength could be gained with enough training, but speed was something that seemed to come naturally to him. And if he could get even faster…

"So what are going to do?" he asked.

"First, we teach you how to think on your feet and adjust your strategy," he said. "Next, I'll teach you how to fight with these."

He unsheathed his hidden blades and held them up. "Then we'll put them all together so you can hunt properly."

He nodded, a confident smile on his face. "I'm ready," he said.

Shay returned the grin. "Then catch a rabbit," he said.

**ONE WEEK LATER**

He sprinted along the length of a tree trunk running after Shay. The two of them jumped from ledge to ledge as they tore along the sides of the canyon. He allowed himself a shot grin as he put on an extra burst of speed and pulled ahead of the dark-haired assassin. Shay glanced at him and smirked before pulling out his pistol and shooting the ledge in front of him. The brittle stone shattered and a small rockslide began to fall towards him. His smirk grew as he jumped from boulder to boulder up back to the next stable rung. He quickly caught up with Shay again, jumping across a log that that lay across the canyon to pull up behind him.

"You're doing great lad," Shay yelled to the wind. "But let's see how you handle this!"

He spun around and brought out his sword, slashing downwards at his face. He quickly unsheathed his hidden blade and blocked the strike while throwing a punch with his left hand. The blow connected, but it was only enough to momentarily disorient Shay. He quickly recovered and slashed back at him. He responded by ducking the strike and stepping inside his guard before throwing his elbow into Shay's sword arm, dislocating it. He threw the man up against the wall and quickly brought his blade to his throat.

"Well done!" Shay laughed. "But you do know I was going easy on you, right?"

He smirked and released Shay, allowing the man to put his shoulder back in order. "Keep telling yourself that," he said as they jumped back onto solid ground.

"Oh, feeling cocky are we?" Shay raised an eyebrow before putting his hand on his knife. "Does someone want his ass kicked clear across the canyon again?"

He paled and held up his hands as Shay laughed. "Come on now, lad," he said. "I think you're ready to go back now."

The two of them quickly packed up and headed out back across the plains. The entire time his mind was active, scanning the ground and sky for enemies. Shay had shown him how important it was to be able to detect traps and move accordingly, mostly by forcing him to walk a mile through a Kikatha nesting ground without dying, so by now he was excellent at detecting even the slightest trace of an enemy or trap…be it by sight, touch, vibration, or even sound. His reflexes had also improved from the relentless canyon-running they regularly did. The logs, while they were made of stone, were prone to crumbling if you stepped on one too hard. Before he had felt weak. Now he knew he was strong.

The two of them made good time heading back to the Compound, reaching it shortly before night fell. But as they walked to the gate, they noticed that the guards were wearing somber expressions.

"Master Cormac!" one of them said. "Master Kenway is waiting for you in the Grandmaster's study."

"Haythem's back already?" Shay asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"All of the Masters are," the guard said. "When you left, there was no way for us to reach you to tell you the news."

"What news?" he asked, stepping in front of Shay. "What's happened?"

The guard swallowed. "We only found out three days ago," he said. "The caravan was attacked on the highway…Grandmaster Chouri is dead!"


	6. Templars Strike Back

Chapter Six: The Templars Strike Back

His eyes widened as the world came to a complete stop. The Grandmaster…dead? But that meant!

"SPEAR!" he yelled, shoving past Shay and running to the Compound. He pushed and shoved his way through the halls, using every ounce of power he had to move as fast as he could. Spear had to be okay…she had to be!

He threw open the doors to the Grandmaster's private study and felt his legs almost give out with shock. Torres, Haythem, Woodes, and Elise all stood around a sight that would be burned into his eyes forever.

Two figures lay on the floor…with white sheets covering their faces. It didn't take a genius to figure out who they wore.

"No," he whispered, hot tears running down his face. "No, no, no, NO! SPEAR, NO!"

"Tatsumi!" Elise gasped as he roughly threw her aside and knelt next to the smaller figure. With a shaking hand, he reached out to the top of the sheet.

"I wouldn't do that, Tatsumi," Woodes warned him, but he paid no attention to the man.

He pulled back the sheet and gasped in horror. It was Spear…or what was left of her. Her face had been ripped away down to the bone, bloody scraps of flesh barely clinging on to the ivory surface of her skull. Surrounding the wound was a razor-thin and precise cut, made by a tanner's knife. Her face had been skinned off. He pulled she sheet down even further, searching for the cut or bullet wound that had ended her life…but he found none. Which meant whoever had killed her had skinned her face while she was a_live. _He looked back towards the remains of Spear's face, seeing her eyes unblinkingly staring up at the ceiling. He couldn't even close her eyes…

His stomach suddenly turned and he clasped a hand over his mouth. Right away, Haythem grabbed him up and pulled him over to the balcony as he vomited in disgust. He retched for a good twenty seconds before stopping.

"Who…who did this?" he panted, his blood beginning to boil with hate.

"We're trying to pin this down now," Haythem said, his voice eerily calm. "As for who killed the Grandmaster, that is. The identity of the one who killed Lady Spear is crystal clear."

"Nyau," Torres said, pointing to the photo on the wall. "According to our spies, he is under the protection of Esdeath, operating as one of her "Three Deadly Beasts."

"But what was even more surprising was that we found this at the scene," Elise said, pulling a flyer from her pocket.

The paper bore only a few words: Heaven's Justice Delivered by Night Raid, as well as a picture of the assassin group's insignia.

"So we are at a crossroads here," Woodes said. "The flyer points to Night Raid killing the Grandmaster…but the wounds on Lady Spear point to the Three Beasts. Either Night Raid is framing the Empire, or vice-versa."

"It's the Empire," Shay said, walking into the room. "I've talked to many of our spies in the Revolution. They're saying that Chouri was going to replace Honest when they overthrew him. Killing the replacement Minister now doesn't make sense."

"Honest has been looking for a chance to get rid of his enemies for a while now," Torres said, stroking his beard. "With Esdeath's Beasts as his hitmen, he could do so without it coming back to him."

"But we can't discount the possibility of Night Raid being the ones to kill the Grandmaster," Haythem said. "From what I've heard, Shay and Tatsumi have run into them several times…if they were somehow able to discover the Order, the Grandmaster would be a prime target."

"Uh, Master Haythem," he said, straightening up. "I believe it couldn't have been Night Raid."

"And why is that?"

"Because…when Master de la Serre, Master Cormac, and I were sent to kill Iokal, Akame said they wanted to bring one of us back alive to talk about an alliance," he said. "They were more interested in working with us than killing us…which leaves me to believe that the Empire was behind this killing."

Haythem's brow furrowed and he cupped his chin thoughtfully. "If what you say is true, then we can assume the secret of the Order's existence is safe," he said. "Which leads me to our next move…revenge."

Haythem turned to the assembled Templars. "Torres, find out Honest's next target. I want to know when and where he'll be…as well as the identity of the other two Beasts."

"Of course," he said, turning and shuffling off.

"Elise, arrange transport for Tatsumi and Shay," he continued. "Money is no object…I want them there as soon as possible."

"Yes sir," she bowed and sprinted off.

"Woodes, the weapons you recovered," he turned to the sailor. "Bring Shay and Tatsumi up to date with them…if the targets show up, they will need them."

"By your command," Woodes spun on his heel and left.

Haythem turned to the two of them, his gray eyes showing nothing but cold anger.

"Shay Cormac and Tatsumi," he said. "As acting Grandmaster, I am assigning you a new mission. Kill the Three Beasts…and make sure they suffer for their crimes!"

He nodded and bowed. "With pleasure, sir."

"Aye," Shay said, bowing as well.

"Tatsumi, a moment," Haythem said as the two of them turned to leave.

"Sir?" he asked as Haythem knelt next to Spear's body and took something from her arm.

"Spear would have wanted you to have this," he said, tossing him the object. "Make sure it is used well."

He caught it and looked down at it. It was Spear's hidden blade. He quickly nodded and fastened it around his left arm, flexing his wrist to make sure the blade was working properly. He looked back at Spear's body, still feeling the burn of his tears.

"I'll make sure they pay for this," he whispered. "I'll take revenge in your stead…"

He turned back to Haythem, bowed again, and left the room, heading to the training grounds. Fighting with a single hidden blade was one thing…two would require some changes to be made to his style.

**THREE DAYS LATER**

**IMPERIAL CAPITAL, CANAL DOCK**

The air was hot, despite the early hour. Noblemen and women of high status were complaining about the heat, their servants (or slaves) desperately fanning them to avoid a beating. But he wasn't focused on that. His mind was on the mission.

"Nothing out of place yet," he mumbled to Shay.

"I don't know about that," he shrugged. "I can see plenty of things wrong with this situation."

"Yeah, well I'm not as tall as you," he snapped, stepping around a group of nobles who stood a good six inches taller than him and obscured his vision.

Shay chuckled but didn't say anything back. He kept his head on a swivel, scanning back and forth across the crowd for any sign of the Three Beasts.

According to Torres, the next person Honest was likely going to want killed was the minister of agriculture; an elderly man who had long since argued for reduced grain prices. The minister was not a Templar or even affiliated with their spies inside the government. But he was someone who they had to use to draw out the Three Beasts.

"They'd either be on the docks or already on board the ship," he said. "And since they're not here, that means we're behind schedule."

"Then we follow them," Shay said, walking aboard the massive cruise ship _Ryussen. _

"Split up?" he asked as they arrived on the main deck.

Shay nodded. "If you find them, don't try and kill them all at once," he warned. "Separate them and then take them out. Use the poison if you have to."

He nodded as his hand drifted to the small balls in his jacket pocket. These balls contained the poisons that Woodes had managed to liberate from Baen's warehouse, specifically the toxin that paralyzed. The balls were set to break on contact, dispersing the poison within a three foot radius of the impact. Shay had refused the bombs and instead coated his air-rifle darts with the venom. He had six bombs on his person at the moment, and each of them would help serve the purpose.

He turned and walked below deck, navigating his way towards the minister. The old man was surrounded by a squadron of elite bodyguards, each of them reminding him of Ogre in terms of size and muscle. But those guards would be worthless when faced with three Teigu.

Torres had also managed to reveal the identities of the other two Beasts. The first was a man named Daidara. Nothing much was known about him, only that he had come from the cage fighting rings like Shay had. The two of them had never met, but the man was supposed to be a terror with his ax-Teigu, Belvaac. The second came as a bit of a shock to some of the Masters. The third member of the Three Beasts was a former Imperial General named Liver, noted for his impressive victories against southern rebel armies in the past decade. However, the man had been imprisoned by Honest eight years earlier on false charges. His Teigu's name was unknown, partially because he was never seen using it by the spies.

"Perhaps I'll get lucky?" he wondered aloud as he grabbed a drink from a passing waiter.

He wandered around the grand room, making sure that none of the Beasts were anywhere close to the man before heading even deeper into the ship. Most likely they were planning an ambush…but to do that, they would have to eliminate all the witnesses.

_That's not going to be a problem with three Teigu,_ he thought dryly, putting his glass down and pulling his collar and hood up. _So if you're not coming to me…I'll come to you._

He left the grand room and headed further down towards the less-glamorous parts of the ship: cabins for those who didn't have enough coin and the kitchen area. He decided to start with the kitchen, calmly walking through the rows of tables so as not to cause alarm despite how his black coat stood out against the white uniforms of the chefs. Surprisingly, no one noticed. Once he cleared the kitchen, he made his way to the steerage areas. These were narrow hallways with doors lining both sides. As he walked, he listened intently. If he peeked inside through the portholes, he would be caught right away…or seen as a pervert by any women sleeping in their cabins. No, sound would be his best chance.

He walked up and down each hallway three times, his ears straining as he sought his targets. Finally, he heard something. It wasn't a voice, but a tune…a flute to be precise. Right away he began to feel weak at the knees; his energy slipping away from him as the tune floated through the ship.

_That has to be them,_ he thought. _So they're planning on knocking everyone out before killing their target…huh. I thought for sure they'd just kill everyone._

He wrenched his arms up to his face and jammed his fingers into his ears, trying to block out the sound. It muffled it a little but it was still far too loud to completely stop the effect. He grimaced and struggled to his feet. He had to get ready…because if the sound was this loud, that meant the Beasts were nearby. Heavy footsteps shook the floor and he turned to see a hulking figure in black stomping down the hallway. The man's face was unmistakable…blonde hair and white, pupil-less eyes. It was Daidara.

_Shit! I can't do much like this, _he ground his teeth and pretended to be unconscious. _Have to wait until the song stops…_

Another two pairs of boots passed by his face and he looked up in time to see Liver and Nyau walking by, the smallest of the Three Beasts playing a flute. His eyes burned with hatred as he looked on at the young boy who had killed Spear. His hand itched to draw his blade, but the music was too strong. The three of them headed up the stairs and then split off, Daidara heading towards the deck while Nyau and Liver went towards the rear of the ship.

"Dammit!" he roared, drawing his knife and slicing open his thumb.

Right away, the fuzziness in his mind vanished like smoke in a hurricane, the sharp pain bringing him back to clarity. He stood up and ripped a piece of his shirt away to bandage his thumb before sprinting up to the indoor cocktail deck above the bow, taking some shortcuts through cabins and restricted areas to get ahead of Daidara. As he ran by, he saw that Nyau's flue had certainly done its work well. All along the sides of the ship were the bodies of the passengers, sleeping peacefully. As he burst onto the deck, he saw Shay standing at the railing, tying a bandage around his left wrist.

"The Beasts are on the move," he said. "Daidara's heading this way."

"We've got bigger problems," he grunted, sliding his glove back on before pointing out onto the deck.

He looked out and swore. Standing there were two familiar faces…from Chouri's wanted board. Bulat of Night Raid…and Lubbock of Night Raid. The two of them seemed to be feeling the effects of the song as well, as indicated by their stooped postures and tired expressions. But nonetheless, both had Teigu and thus were dangerous opponents.

"Do we take them out now?" he asked, hand going for one of his poison bombs.

"No…," Shay grinned devilishly. "I've got a better idea."

Before he could explain what said idea was, Daidara emerged from below decks, his ax in hand.

"Oh, so it looks like Nyau's song wasn't completely effective," he grinned. "No matter…I'll get plenty of experience by fighting you too."

"Yeah, don't count on it!" Lubbock huffed, sluggishly dragging his arms out in front of him. Thanks to his training, he could see the tiny glimmer of sunlight reflecting off the wires of Cross Tail.

"Be careful Lubba," Bulat said, straightening up. "This isn't the type of opponent you take lightly."

"Uh, Shay?" he asked as the battle began. "Are we just going to sit here and watch?"

"For now yes," he said as Daidara demonstrated his Teigu's special ability to home in on targets. "Daidara's not our concern now…if we intervene, we'd be caught between the remaining Beasts as well as those two…lets them kill Daidara…I'll take Liver. I know how badly you want Nyau."

He nodded, gritting his teeth behind pursed lips.

Below them, Bulat activated his Teigu with a roar, the gray armor of Incursio encasing him as a red spear appeared in his grasp. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as two more figures jumped from the upper decks. With a single, almost liquid motion, the former solider slammed the two of them back before slicing Daidara right down the middle. He winced slightly at the sight of the blood, but held himself together.

"Now!" Shay said, drawing his rifle and drawing a bead on Lubbock. "Go for Bulat!"

He nodded and hurled himself through the glass window of the cocktail deck as fast as he could, speeding towards the ground. He landed a solid kick on the armored man's head and knocked him to the ground before pulling out one of his bombs and breaking it open on the man's head. The gas filled the air and would have affected him had he not retreated to a safe distance in the nick of time.

"What…the…?" the large man croaked as the armor slowly receded from his body and he dropped to the ground. "Can't…move…"

"It's temporary," he assured him. "You'll be fine in an hour or so."

As he stood up, he saw Lubbock was in a similar position; draped across the deck with a dart in his shoulder. Shay jumped down from the balcony, slinging his rifle as he drew his sword and knife.

"Who are you?" Liver asked as he and Nyau settled into fighting stances.

Shay said nothing as he approached the former general. He turned towards Nyau, walking to press the boy killer against the wall of the ship.

"Friends of someone you killed," Shay finally said, his tone so cold it could freeze mercury. "And we're here to take revenge."

Liver's eyes narrowed slightly as he made to remove his glove. "You're not part of the revolution, are you?" he asked.

"No," Shay shook his head. "But that doesn't mean…you shouldn't be afraid of us."

He smirked under his hood and turned his attention to Nyau. "You're going to suffer," he said. "Suffer like all your victims, Nyau."

"Oh so you know me?" he said with a grin. "What fun! I'm going to enjoy adding you to my collection."

He growled and flexed his wrists, unsheathing both his hidden blades.

"So that's your Teigu?" Nyau said, not even fazed by the sight of the blades. "What's its name?"

"No name," he said. "It's not a Teigu."

He sprinted forwards and began his attack, slashing and stabbing with his blades at Nyau's face and chest as fast as he could. The small killer responded by blocking with his flute, Scream, which somehow held despite the biting edges of the blades.

"Not bad," Nyau commented as they broke apart, circling each other. "You're much stronger than all my other trophies."

"SHUT UP!" he yelled, dashing back in.

Nyau grinned and blocked his strike before slamming Scream across his face. He grunted in pain and stumbled back, barely managing to dodge a second strike. He wiped the blood away from his now-split lip and barred his teeth.

_Can't let him bait me like that again,_ he thought. _I've got to find a weak point. _

He started circling him again, his eyes darting over Nyau's form for any indication of weaknesses, past injuries, or hesitation. He found none…his form was practically flawless.

"I'll just have to tire you out!" he growled, sprinting back into the fight.

Nyau tried to counterattack with another flute strike to the head, but he quickly slipped under, slicing at his armpits and elbows. The blonde boy simply smirked and blocked all of them, but he was too slow to slip an attack in otherwise. He smirked back and pressed the barrage even further, feeling Nyau's blocks begin to weaken.

"You rely so much on that flute that you neglect your physical training, huh?" he smirked, slipping easily around Nyau's form to deliver a knuckle shot to the boy's kidney.

Nyau grunted in pain and drew a skinning knife from his belt. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the blade…the same blade that had killed Spear. Nyau noticed his glare and grinned widely.

"So it was someone _I _killed that you want revenge for?" he asked. "Well, the only one I can think of is that girl who was with the old prime minister."

His teeth bared as Nyau kept talking.

"Yeah, she was pretty easy to kill," he shrugged. "After Liver killed her dad, she stabbed Daidara pretty bad before he knocked her down…then I got to add her face to my collection.

"Shut your mouth," he growled, blood boiling with rage.

"She said something right before she died," he continued, his face scrunching up as he tried to remember. "A name…Tatsumi."

He roared in a mixture of anger, fury, and hatred as he dove back at Nyau, his blades extending to their full reach. The small boy blinked and tried to bring his flute to bear to block the strikes. But he was too slow.

With a swipe of his left arm, he severed the tendon in Nyau's left hand, forcing him to drop Scream as he ripped the tanning knife from his other hand. He retracted his blades and slammed his fist into the boy's face, stunning him. He then dropped low and struck his kneecap out with his elbow, shattering the bones into fine powder. Nyau screamed out as he collapsed, but Tatsumi wasn't done yet. He kept punching and kicking Nyau while he was down, slowly reducing the boy to a broken mass of flesh and bone. Finally, he sat back, panting hard from the blows. Nyau was gasping hard, blood flowing from his mangled lips.

"Time for you to die," he said, unsheathing Spear's hidden blade.

"Wait…" Nyau begged.

He didn't listen. He plunged the blade into the boy's forehead, but not deep enough to kill him. Then he slowly began dragging in down from his scalp to his chin, slicing open his nose and already ruined mouth. Next, he stabbed his right temple and sliced him ear to ear across his face, completing the Templar Cross. Nyau had screamed his throat horse from the pain and could only now silently whimper as the blood loss took its toll on his body.

"Retribution for Spear," he hissed, spitting on the body as the light left the eyes. "You can burn in hell for all I care, Nyau."

The youngest of the Three Beasts gave a final pained gasp before his body went slack against the deck. He let out a deep sigh and flicked the gore from Spear's blade as he stood up and turned to Shay and Liver's battle in time to see the two of them cross swords.

Just from one look, he knew he'd missed a lot. Liver was missing a good deal of his right hand, particularly his fingers. His uniform was tattered and bloodstained, showing a deal of small cuts on his arms and chest. Shay was in a similar stare. His right shoulder had a large slash running down his arm and his coat was scuffed and bloody. Not to mention the fact that he and the area around the both of them was thoroughly soaked. But the two men didn't seem to notice their injuries as they fought.

He quickly retrieved Scream and rushed over to help Shay, running up a stack of crates positioned against a wall to get a better vantage point. He stopped once he was at the top and pulled one of his pistols from his belt, taking aim at the former general's head.

_No clear shot, _he grimaced. _And the bullet's so big I'll hit Shay if I try to shoot through him. Damn._

With only one option left, he holstered his pistol and flexed his wrists before jumping down into the fight, trying to distract Liver. It worked, and the white-haired man's blade flashed up to disembowel him. By some miracle, he managed to catch the sword on his hidden blades like Shay had done, twisting the edge away so he was left wide-open on his front. He twisted his own body away and rolled on the deck to break his fall, hoping his risky move had done something to end the fight.

It had. With a flash of steel, Liver's eyes widened in surprise. He looked down at his chest in time to see Shay's sword embedded in his chest, the hilt jamming into his ribcage as the tip protruded from his back.

"Retribution," Shay grunted, throwing his weight against the blade as he twisted it around, "for the Grandmaster…and all you've killed in the Empire's name."

Liver choked on his own blood as his strength left him. His knees buckled and he fell to the ground as Shay yanked his sword from his chest.

"L-Lady Esdeath," he rasped, his hands clawing at his wound. "Forgive…our failure…"

With a final gasp, the last of the Three Beasts died on the deck, his blood trailing from his wounds across the wooden surface.

"Are you alright?" he asked, picking himself up and running to his teacher.

"Just a couple of scratches," he grunted, wiping his cut arm. "I'll live…how about you?"

"Just a bump on the head," he said, checking his lip. "Nyau's dead…and I made sure he suffered."

Shay took a look at the boy's body and grimaced. "That's a bit…much," he said. "But considering everything, I'd say it's about right. Mission accomplished."

He nodded before turning to Night Raid. "What do we do with them?" he asked. "Kill them?"

Shay's eyes narrowed as he looked Bulat in the eye. "No," he said after a few seconds of silence. "They're not our targets and we're out of time. Grab the Teigu from the Beasts and let's get out of here before the passengers wake up."

He nodded and grabbed Belvaac as Shay pocketed a silver ring from the remains of Liver's fingers. They nodded to each other before running back inside the ship to hide. Night Raid would eventually escape as well, but he had a hunch they would be leaving as well. It would happen eventually, but their fight was not today.

_Spear and Grandmaster Chouri have been avenged,_ he thought as he and Shay sat against some boxes in the hold. _But this now leads to a new problem. Who will be the next Grandmaster? And what is our next move going to be?_


	7. Unpleasant Surprises

Chapter 7: Unpleasant Surprises

One week. That's how long it had been since the battle with the Three Beasts. One week was not necessarily a lot of time, but much had happened since.

The Masters had taken a vote and elected Haythem to be the new Grandmaster. The explorer was not necessarily happy about this new change in status, since it would impair his ability to search for relics around the world, but he finally acquiesced and accepted the position.

Shay had gone off on a hunt for the Three Beast's contacts and some of Esdeath's benefactors. With the Beasts dead, their travel funds were ripe for the taking. Haythem already planned to finance their next expedition with that money, so a lot was riding on him.

Elise had returned to run the Holy Cross. With Esdeath finally back in the capital, more people would be feeling safe to go out and drink…and that usually meant people would brag about their secrets more frequently with a little wine and a pretty face to convince them.

Torres had gone back to Kyoroch to govern the city and monitor the Templar's spy network. He had informed them about a religious movement called the Path of Peace that had been gathering momentum in the East, claiming he would see if they could use this to their advantage.

Woodes had been ordered by the Emperor to hunt down a group of pirates, nothing really that would serve the Order, but it would allow them to distract the boy king and the fat bastard who controlled him.

As for him, he was now standing in the doorway of Spear's room, trying to work up the nerve to go inside. He wanted to make sure everything was kept as it was when she left, but worried about offending her spirit by intruding on her private area. He didn't want to be haunted…

"Oh heck with it," he said, turning the doorknob and walking inside.

Spear's room was uncharacteristically ladylike. The walls were a soft yellow color, a few pictures dotting the walls. There was a closet that was slightly ajar, showing off her clothes. He laughed softly as he saw all she had was multiple copies her trademark coat and hat. In the corner was a weapon's rack where she had a few blades for her lance as well as tools for servicing them. Her bed was made nicely, pillows placed on top of the comforter as if she was going to come home and crawl into bed for a nap.

He shook the thought from his mind before he began crying and turned to her desk. He paused and looked there to see a notebook laid there with a note left next to it. In the back of the book was a bookmark at a certain page.

"Read me," he cocked an eyebrow as he picked up the book and flipped it open.

_This is the journal of Spear, Master Knight of the Templar Order, _it read. _Within are my thoughts and recollections of my work serving the Order. May the Father of Understanding guide us all. _

He never knew Spear kept a notebook. But from the messiness of her handwriting she's started when she was at least ten. He ignored the main part of the journal and turned to the bookmarked page.

_Today I've met a new person, _it said. _Shay and I were sent to clear some bandits in a swamp and while I was chasing the gang's pet Earth Dragon, I met a boy called Tatsumi. He'd been lost for a long time and had managed to survive for the entire time. He actually saved my life a few minutes later…so I've nominated him to be inducted into the Order. I think he could become a great Templar._

He smiled and turned the page.

_Tatsumi has really made progress, _the entry said. _He's carried out a tricky assassination against the CDF captain and created so many opportunities for us! If he would only stop calling me "Lady Spear…" I'm taking him on a date to the capital later today before we try and kill Zank the Beheader. Maybe I can get him to loosen up. _

He flipped to the last page in the book.

_Tatsumi, _it said. _I've left this in case I don't come back from escorting Father. If I do come back, I'm going to destroy this note, so if you are reading this now, I am dead. I want you to know that I never planned for this to happen. You were probably my greatest friend and I will miss you dearly. I am sorry for leaving like I did on the tower…you just looked so cute!_

_But with me dead, I have to ask a favor of you. When I trained at the Koken Temple, I made another friend. Her name was Suzuka…and she was just as strong as I was in hand-to-hand combat. Despite her strange personality, we became good friends and I promised myself I would help her out. But before I could she was taken by the minister. Honest turned her into a Rakasha Demon, one of his personal executioners. I need you to save her. Kill the other three Demons and bring her to Torres. This is my only wish, Tatsumi. My only regret is not being able to help my friend, so please do so in my stead. _

_My time is up now. Father is calling me…we must leave soon. Goodbye, Tatsumi…be strong. _

His hands were trembling as he closed the book, eyes burning as those words played themselves over and over in his head.

"I will," he said. "I promise, Spear."

He put the book back and left the room, making sure to lock it for good measure. He turned and walked to the Grandmaster's study, knocking softly to announce his presence.

"Enter," came Haythem's muffled reply.

He opened the door and walked inside. Haythem was sitting at the desk, looking over a stack of paperwork. He seemed very annoyed by it, judging from how his face was set in a scowl.

"What can I do for you, Tatsumi?" he asked.

"Grandmaster, I," he said, swallowing briefly, "I would like to request an assignment to the capital."

Haythem stopped and put down the paper. "Well, this is unexpected," he said. "I assumed you would want some time to mourn Spear's passing."

"Yes sir, I did," he said. "But…Spear told me to be strong for the Order…for her memory. So I need to get back in the field as fast as I can!"

The corner of Haythem's lips tugged upwards in a smile as he stood up. "I agree," he said. "And I, for one, am tired of this blasted paperwork. How Grandmaster Chouri kept his sanity all those years, I will never know."

"Grandmaster?" he asked as Haythem walked for the door.

"As it turns out, Tatsumi, I was meaning to make a journey to the capital as well," he said. "I will be requiring a bodyguard…so come with me."

He grinned and ran after the man as he left the compound and hopped into the carriage.

**LATER.**

**IMPERIAL CAPITAL**

"What will my task be?" he asked, following Haythem through the crowds towards the Imperial execution arena.

"Patience," Haythem said. "I'll tell you soon."

He nodded, but barely controlled his enthusiasm. To go on a mission with the Grandmaster, an accomplished explorer and fighter, was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Maybe he would learn something from Haythem on this trip? Something that would allow him to become a better knight?

"Here," Haythem said, stopping outside a wooden doorway on the side of the arena. "This spot will suffice."

"Sir?" he cocked his head as Haythem pulled a parchment from his coat pocket.

"I've recently learned that a member of Night Raid was taken out by the CDF," he said. "Her name was Sheele, wielder of the scissor-Teigu Extase. Captain Davenport tried to take possession of it, but the Teigu was confiscated by Honest."

"Do you want me to retrieve it, Grandmaster?" he asked.

"We will see about claiming Teigu in the future, but not now," Haythem said, showing the parchment to him. "Read this."

He skimmed the text and blinked. General Esdeath was hosting a tournament with a large cash prize for the last man standing. All civilians were free to enter, but military personnel were strictly forbidden.

"Esdeath is hoping the winner of this tournament will be capable of using Extase," Haythem said. "She's been gathering Teigu-users from all over the Empire for a special police group to combat Night Raid. The masters and I could not possibly care less about the police group at the moment, but the money we do care about."

"So you want me to win the tournament and claim the prize?" he asked.

Haythem nodded. "Shay has told me of the skills you showed killing the Beasts," he said. "I believe a group of civilians will be child's play for you."

He smirked and bowed. "I'll do my best, Grandmaster," he said.

"Good," Haythem gave him a smile. "I will be in the stands watching you…but leave your pistols and poisons with me. The rules say no firearms."

He nodded and turned over his guns and the remaining poison bombs he had before registering for the fight. The man asked him for his name and occupation.

"Tatsumi," he said. "I'm…a bounty hunter."

"Ah, then you'll have a good advantage here," the man smirked. "Most other contestants are shopkeepers who've never even held a blade."

He kept that information in mind and walked to the staging area, watching as two other fighters did it out in a sloppy, uncoordinated manner. He scoffed as one of them landed a lucky hit, his sword nearly breaking as he cut the man at this weakest point.

"This should be easy," he sighed, sitting down on a bench and waiting.

The contest seemed to be a challenge of endurance. If a fighter one his match, he stayed in the ring until his next fight. If he won, he stayed in until he lost and then the winner of that fight would continue. Right now, it seemed that a man-bull hybrid named Karubi was the favorite.

He looked up at the stands, easily finding Haythem thanks to his elegant blue coat. He met the man's gaze and nodded before looking around even more. In the Emperor's box, sitting on a throne-like chair with a tub of popcorn was Esdeath, her vibrant blue hair standing out against the dark tan of the arena walls. She looked bored out of her mind…and he didn't blame her. The corniness of the fights was putting him to sleep as well. He turned his gaze further, noticing a young blonde man with a feather tucked behind his ear next to her. He didn't seem like a soldier or a guard, not that Esdeath needed protection, so he was either her attaché or a representative of the government. He seemed like he was trying to get the general interested in the fights, but was having minimal luck.

Finally, as Karubi had stomped his latest opponent into the dust, he got up. It looked like he was the last fighter.

"Our final match will now begin!" the announcer yelled into his microphone. "Current champion, Karubi the butcher will face Tatsumi the bounty hunter!"

He got up and walked into the arena, hearing a mixture of cheers and boos from the crowd. He ignored them all, keeping his eyes on his opponent. Karubi sneered as he stood opposite him.

"You're going to lose, little boy!" he grunted in a rumbling voice. "Like I've told everyone else, I'm a ninth-level master of the Imperial Fist!"

"Talk is cheap," he said calmly. "Let's see if there's any truth to those words."

Karubi snorted in frustration as the announcer gave the signal to being. Right away, he charged like a bull, aiming to flatten him in one shot. He smirked and casually sidestepped the charge, spinning in time to deliver two shots to the man's liver. Karubi made a squealing sound and stumbled.

"Why you little!" he roared.

"Less talk," he said, cracking his knuckles. "More fighting."

Karubi obliged him, screaming like a barbarian as he charged him full-force. He responded by dashing at him, ducking his blow and sliding between his legs. As he moved, he slammed his knuckles into the man's ankles, right where the tendon connected to the bone. He heard a satisfying crack and another piggish squeal from his opponent.

"Both your ankles are broken," he said, standing up and casually dusting off his jacket. "Plus I think I damaged your liver pretty bad with my first attack…"

"So?" the man snorted, trying to stand up on shaky legs.

"So," he smirked. "You won't be able to react in time for this!"

He sprinted past the man and ran up the arena wall, twisting midair so he was facing Karubi. As he fell, he landed a vicious haymaker to the back of his head, sending him sprawling to the dirt with a thud.

"Down," he said, staying in a crouched position as Karubi lost consciousness.

The crowd suddenly erupted into raucous cheers as he pulled his hood down and looked at Haythem. The man's usually stony face was set in a soft, but approving smile. He looked down at him warmly and nodded once. The message was clear. He had done well.

He couldn't help himself as his face broke into a childish grin, beaming up at the audience. Not only had he done well for the Order, but he had proven himself to Spear's last wish.

_I'll keep being strong, _he promised, opening his eyes as he heard frantic murmuring from the crowd.

His heart nearly stopped. Esdeath was descending the stairs that led to the Emperor's box. She had a smile on her face and her hand was clutching something behind her back.

_Now to get paid, _he inwardly smirked, putting on a childish façade as she stopped in front of him.

"Tatsumi was your name?" she said, her voice a lot more melodious than he thought.

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

"That was an impressive fight," she said. "You showed a lot of skill."

"It comes with the job," he said, rubbing his head sheepishly.

"Nevertheless, I wish to reward you," she said, pulling her hand from behind her back.

Never in a billion years could he have predicted what happened next.

There was a click from his throat and he looked down to see Esdeath had just fastened a collar around his neck, a chain leading from the front into her hand.

"From now on," she said, a blush dusting her cheeks, "you belong to me."

"…what?" was all he could manage as she turned and yanked him back towards the exit. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a second!"

"There's too many distractions out here," she said. "Let's talk in my room."

_Oh, hell no!_ he thought, grabbing his knife and trying to break the collar. "URK!"

He felt a sharp chop to the back of his neck and fell forwards as his body went numb. The last thing he heard was Esdeath giggling like a schoolgirl, her hand catching him before he hit the ground.

**LATER**

**UNKNOWN LOCATION**

"Ugh," he muttered, blinking rapidly as he woke up. "Where…where am I?"

"Don't strain yourself," said a voice from behind him. "You were hit pretty hard."

He blinked some more, slowly watching as the outlines of his lower body came into focus. He growled a bit as his head throbbed, but slowly fought his way back to full consciousness. He was in a relatively small room with six other people…and he was tied to a chair with a collar around his neck.

_Oh, right…,_ he thought glumly. _The fight…Esdeath…putting a collar on me…in front of everyone…fuck. _

"Ah, captain, he's awake!" said a bubbly voice.

He looked up and saw the auburn haired girl he'd seen in Davenport's office…Seryu. She was pointing and waving excitedly…with a pair of shiny silver arms. Her white dog/Teigu was sitting obediently at her feet, watching as its master made an idiot of herself.

"What's going on?" he mumbled, shaking his head to try and clear the cobwebs.

"Don't worry," said a young man's voice, a hand patting him on the shoulder. "You're among friends, Tatsumi."

He turned to face the voice, coming face-to-face with a young man about his age. He had short cropped dark blue hair and darker eyes. He was wearing what looked like a variation of an imperial navy sailor's uniform, an orange scarf tied around his neck. The boy was smiling at him like they were old friends. He in turn shrugged his hand off his shoulder and sent him a mild glare.

"Here, let me see," said another man, walking around in front of him.

This man was a giant…at least seven feet tall! He wore the uniform of the incineration corps; the standard flame-retardant gloves and respirator. However, where his jacket should have been was his bare chest, showing off a vicious-looking scar that looked like he was clawed by some animal. However, despite his intimidating appearance, the man was gently checking his body over like a field medic, shining a light in his eyes and testing his reflexes gingerly. His voice was also surprisingly gentle.

"He appears to be fine, captain," he said, standing up and looking at the back of the room. "A little dazed, but no permanent injuries as far as I can tell."

He looked at where the man was talking and swallowed. Standing against the back wall with a soft smile was Esdeath herself…and she was looking at him with that same creepy blush on her face.

"Wonderful," she said, standing up and walking in front of the group.

"Um, Captain," said the blonde boy from the stadium. "I must admit, I am confused as to why you've brought the boy here."

"Isn't it obvious, Run?" she said, like the answer was so simple even a child could understand. "Meet the newest addition to the Jaegers…Tatsumi."

"So you just dragged him out of the crowd just like that?" the navy boy said, scratching his head.

"Yes," she said, looking back at him with a strange grin. "Tatsumi is the one…to be my partner in love."

You could have heard a pin drop at that moment. The entire room went silent as everyone's jaws went slack.

"…I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head. "I must be hearing things…you said I'm your partner in _love!?"_

Esdeath giggled and rubbed his head affectionately. "Yes," she said. "Don't act so surprised, Tatsumi..."

_Exactly how surprised should I be right now!?_ he mentally shouted, but made sure to bite his tongue. Making an enemy of Esdeath while he was tied up was not a smart idea.

"Um, Captain, if I may be so bold," the blonde, Run, said as he raised his hand. "If you want Tatsumi to be your lover…why do you have a dog collar on him?"

"Because I want him to stand out," she said simply.

"Well, it's working," he muttered.

"But if you want him to be your lover and not your pet," Run continued, "shouldn't you take it off him?"

Esdeath actually paused and thought for a moment before taking the collar off.

"Well, now that that's done," she said, looking at the rest of the people there, "why don't you all introduce yourself to our new member?"

"A stylish idea!"

He blinked as a middle-aged man in a lab coat and glasses actually _sashayed _up to him and shook his hand.

"Doctor Stylish, at your service," he said, shooting him a smoldering look. "I'm the team medic. No matter how injured you get, I'll nurse you back to health!"

He just dumbly shook the man's hand, trying to ignore the blatant flirtation in his tone. Next was the sailor boy.

"I'm Wave," he said, giving him a hearty handshake and a salute. "I'm former Imperial Navy, a real man of the seas!"

_So this is the kid Master Rodgers was talking about?_ he thought as he shook the boy's hand. _Huh….thought he'd be taller. _

A crunching sound to his right made him turn and look at a short black haired girl noisily eating cookies from a large sack marked "Kurome's Cookies." He met her eyes for a second and she immediately drew up on herself, closing the bag and hugging to her chest.

"You can't have any," she said, her voice reminding him of a kid who didn't want to share a toy.

"Don't mind Kurome," Wave laughed. "She's a good person…just likes her candy a little too much."

"It's…fine," he said, watching as Kurome start eating again.

Next came the giant man in the mask.

"My name's Bols," he said. "I hope we can be good friends."

He gave the man a nod and shook his hand. He seemed nice enough. After him was the blonde boy.

"Run," he said with a calm smile. "Although, you've heard the Captain say my name already."

"It's nice to meet you," he said, offering him a small smile as well as the final girl approached him.

"Seryu Ubiquitous and Koro at your service!" she said enthusiastically, snapping a crisp salute. "We look forwards to working with you, Tatsumi!"

"….right," he said, walking for the door. "Well, here's the thing…I'm not interested in working for the Empire with this…whatever this is. I've got my own career to worry about…but it was nice meeting you."

Before he was even two steps away, his feet froze and he turned to see Esdeath giggling.

"So it seems I'll have to train you a bit," she said. "That's just fine."

Before he could open his mouth to reply, the door opened and in stepped a solider.

"General Esdeath," he said, snapping to attention. "We've completed the survey of the bandit fortress as you requested!"

"Ah, perfect timing," she said, taking the papers from him as she walked to a nearby table, rolling out a large map. "Jaegers, this is your first assignment. We've received word about a group of bandits that has been occupying an abandoned fortress close to a nearby lake."

She turned and looked at him as the rest of them crowded around the table. "Tatsumi, aren't you coming?"

"Um, still frozen to the floor," he pointed out, jerking his head at the ice surrounding his feet.

She blushed and with a snap of her fingers the ice shattered.

"That's better," he said, shaking his legs free of ice dust. "Bye!"

He turned and sprinted at the door, throwing it open and closing it as fast as he could. Right as it shut, an icicle pierced the door next to his head, not a millimeter from his ear.

"Shit," he allowed himself before sprinting off as fast as he could down the corridor.

"Hey, stop!" yelled a guard, bringing a lance to bear.

He contemplated killing the man, but that would be hard to explain if he was caught. He kept his hands away from his sword as he kicked off the closest wall, bounding higher and higher back and forth down the corridor until his foot was level with the man's head.

"Sorry," he said, kicking the guard square in the face.

"Tatsumi, come back!"

He turned around and saw the Jaegers pouring out of the room he had just escaped, a few of them gasping as they saw the downed guard. Esdeath suddenly blurred from vision, reappearing to slam her knee into his gut so hard he flew twenty feet before crashing into the wall.

"GUAH!" he gasped as the wind was knocked out of him. He barely had enough sense to look up in time to see the next attack.

Esdeath flew at him, one hand on her cap with her other on a long steel rapier. His eyes widened in time for him to sprawl to the floor and go for his knife. She was obviously surprised at his reaction time, moving her leg back just in time for him to only graze the leather of her boots. Her left foot then twisted around, the toe of her shoe connecting squarely with his face. He crashed to the ground a few feet away, warm blood trailing down his nose. He coughed weakly and looked up in time to see the tip the rapier resting only a centimeter from his nose. He sighed and put his head down hard with a thud.

"Well, I tried," he coughed.

He heard a sadistic chuckle as a high-heeled boot found its way to a sensitive spot on his back. He grit his teeth in pain as the metal tip twisted back and forth along the pressure point, but he did not cry out.

"You certainly have potential," he heard her say. "I am going to enjoy our training…very much."


End file.
